Flowers in the Park

Wearing //

Express moto jacket, similar & love this

Express cami

Topshop skirt, similar

Vince Camuto pumps, similar

French Connection bag, similar

Lisa Taubes necklace

Delezhen stone pendant

Topshop ring 

Beauty //

M.A.C lipstick in Twig

If you follow me on snapchat (noelleengel), you probably saw that on Friday, I decided to break my own blog rule of using props for outfit photos. I'm not sure why I've set this rule for myself, but I think it's mainly because I feel like a phony. "Oh you know, just taking a casual stroll through the park. And whad'ya know? I just happen to have this lovely bouquet of flowers on hand to compliment my outfit." It seems a bit contrived, but because I had to make a flower run anyway, I decided to just go with it and bring them along. They are gorgeous after all, which is why my camera roll has more pictures of the hydrangea than it does of me! I got stopped twice by people asking if Nate and I were newly engaged or getting married. We laughed and played along! I carried a similar bouquet on my wedding day, and it did feel sort of that same way all over again with the sun setting in the background. I wish I could get married all over again. 

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Ruby Shoes & Mocha Lips

Wearing //

Express portofino  and jeans (so soft)

Zara cami, similar

Louise Et Cie flats

Michael Kors bag

Elizabeth Stone Jewelry bar necklace

Beauty //

M.A.C. lipstick in Twig

Truth be told, I haven't worn this snakeprint portofino since we moved into our condo almost three years ago. I think the last time I did was to my friend's baby shower! My style cues have changed a bit since then. I don't really like sheer blouses because I don't like the extra step of wearing camisoles underneath, but I don't feel comfortable showing my bra either. What to do, what to do. I think I need a pretty lace bralette in my wardrobe, so if you have any suggestions on brands please share. After the burlesque show last weekend, pretty lacey things are on my to-buy list.

One thing I am loving that I once shied away from is mocha colored lips. It reminds me of my mom. Not that looking like my mother is a bad thing but...I digress. The 90's trend is still going strong. Nirvana, 90210, MTV - I was definitely a 90's kid. But, I was a little too young back then to really delve into the style and beauty looks so I'm playing catch up in 2015 at the ripe old age of 31. This M.A.C. lipstick in Twig has just the right amount of brown in it without being too garish. It's actually a really beautiful shade and one that I think a lot of skin tones can wear. Think "my lips but better". My style is still more feminine than let's say grunge, but sometimes a small tweak is all it takes with passing trends. 

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Fall Basics

Wearing //

Nordstrom jacket, similar & similar

Zara cami, similar

Express jeans

Halogen flats (love)

Michael Kors bag

Express earrings

Beauty //

Essie nails in Over the Edge

Lips in Glo Minerals Aubergine (must-have) topped with balm

Use code Beautygirl24 for a discount!

Although this post features my Fall basics, it really should be titled "burlesque". Friday night, Nate and I did something a little more daring than our usual dinner and drinks outing. We went to see a burlesque show in San Diego. Gina invited me, and of course I wanted to support my friend. We got to see her shake her groove thang, and I loved every minute of it! She did a fabulous job, and so did the entire team. I was blown away by how confident all of the dancers were. All ages, shapes, and sizes, and all equally comfortable and confident in their own skin. As someone who has struggled with body image since I was a kid, I felt very empowered after the show. You don't have to be a certain weight to be beautiful, and it opened my eyes to this other world where feeling good about yourself is all that matters. Imagine that. Logically we all know this, but getting the negative self-talk out of your head on a daily basis can be difficult. Burlesque is a lost art, and I'm hoping it's coming back. If you ever get the chance to see one, definitely go!

I wore this outfit to the show, and although I think I should have dressed up in retrospect, I was just so excited to finally wear my favorite cool weather basics. Next time though, I'll be sure to at least have some glitter in my hair :)

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Navy and Camel

Wearing //

Anthropologie dress, on sale!

Rebecca Minkoff tote

Sole Society heels, similar

Fossil watch

Elizabeth Stone Jewelry bar necklace

Beauty //

Toes in Essie Recessionista

I think camel and navy is such a classic color combination. I remember seeing it a lot last year, and this outfit has been in my head ever since. The only problem was, I didn't own much navy so when I saw this dress on sale, I knew I had to have it so I could get my navy fix. I already own the printed version so I wasn't ordering blindly. However, this is a petite size 6, and the other is a regular size 6 so I am glad I can see the difference! The proportions are much better, and the straps don't slip off like the other dress. I try to shop petite as often as I can, but if it's not available, I just go for it. I tell myself I will get alterations but that rarely happens. I'm a lazy petite. 

Speaking of rare, why the heck is it so hot in October? It was 95 degrees at the beach on Saturday. At the beach. In October. What? I'm so confused!

What's your favorite Fall color combination? 

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Stepping Out of my Comfort Zone

Wearing //

Soprano dress, check B.P. Nordstrom 

Sole Society booties, similar but love these!

Express bag and bracelet, similar

Nordstrom necklace

Beauty //

Essie nails in Size Matters

Glo Minerals blush in Bellini

Sometimes I think that as style bloggers, we are too vain to post outfits that we are perhaps a little unsure of. Nobody wants to make a fool of themselves, especially on social media and the web. Well, this is one of those outfits for me. I love dresses and booties on others, but on me? Totally on the fence! My first inclination was to pair this swing dress with little heels in an effort to elongate my legs, but because it was cool enough to finally break out my little boots, I decided to go for the more casual route. I loved it while I was wearing it, but looking back on the pictures, I'm uncertain that it works. Funny how that goes! You think you look fabulous until you see photographic proof. I'm posting this anyway because number one, I don't have anything else planned for Beautygirl24 this week and number 2, why not? I'm proud for stepping out of my comfort zone. I think next time, a shorter dress will be more successful with booties. But for my first try, I guess this will do :)

I can say one thing - This dress feels like lounge wear, and I'm in love. I plan on wearing it next with an olive moto jacket and...heels. 

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Blogger Must-Haves for Fall 2015

 This was supposed to go live yesterday, but my internet is down so I'm working from Starbucks. Can I just say, I love it! Why don't I do this more often? Not only can I get free wifi, but I can also grab a cup of iced coffee or green tea. And, there's no puppy whimpering at my feet begging to play. Genius.

Anyway, I posted my Fall must-haves last week, and now as promised, it is time for my blogger friends to share theirs as well. Here we go!



From sunny San Diego, Gina: Her blog is On The Daily Express
In Southern California, Fall feels similar to Summer but with less daylight and generally cooler evenings. That means the knee boots and blanket scarves that are popular on blogs this time of year are completely impractical here. I can still wear all of my summer clothes, but I do like to modify my style a little bit, and this year my fall must-haves can be summed up by this picture: Olive and Wine:

Image: Source 

I'm wearing the same lightweight fabrics and cuts as I did in the summer but I swapped out my usual greens and pinks for olive green and red wine-inspired shades.

I wear my white jeans year round, but for Summer I paired them with my Barcelona cami in coral: 

I've worn virtually the same outfit recently, but just by switching to a burgundy cami instead it makes me feel like I'm wearing a Fall outfit:

In the spring I opted for this bright green Portofino Shirt with jeans and leopard pumps:

Then I took the same outfit formula (green top + jeans + leopard pumps) but changed the top to olive green to give it a Fall look:

I'm wearing the exact same shirt and pants in the next two outfits, but changing the shoes from pink to burgundy (of course!) and the bag from yellow to leopard took me from Spring to Fall:

The Fall version:

So for me, my fall must-haves are more about color than anything else. Even if the climate doesn't change much it's nice to feel current just by making a few simple color changes to my outfits!

Next up is Rachelle from Florida. Her blog is Pinksole

Berry lips that I achieve with Estee Lauder Pure Color envy lipstick in plum berry and Nars lipgloss in sixties fan. Wearing both here:

I love any shade of deep red, so I am obsessed with my deep garnet bucket bag from J.Crew.

A utility vest is a must for Fall. I live in South Florida so this is perfect to layer without dying of  a heat stroke.

Last but not least, I love a nice pair of cognac booties, I have my eyes on this pair.





Carylee is from St. Louis and her blog is More Pieces of Me

Plaid shirts because anything plus plaid = an outfit!

Booties! All of the booties! My favorite are the Sam Edelman Petty boot. I have them in three colors - wine, putty, and leopard. They're perfect with skinnies, or even with bare legs when it's not quite cool enough yet!

The puffer vest. Oh my goodness, I bought the infamous herringbone one last year, and quickly added a few more to my collection since then. They're such a great layering piece, and surprisingly warm despite not having any sleeves!

Wine colored skinnies - I have five pairs in slightly different hues (maybe more) because they are on such high rotation.

The chambray - I do wear chambrays year-round, but I reach for them a lot more as it starts getting cooler for layering. It's lightweight but still provides enough extra warmth.





And last but not least, Zeba from Canada. Her blog is Ella Pretty Blog.

1. Shirt Dresses

2. Blanket Scarves

3. Tweed Jackets

4. Ginger tea and a good book

5. Lots of plaid!

I hope you enjoyed reading, and I also hope these lists inspire you to incorporate some of their favorites into your Fall season!

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My Must-Haves for Fall 2015

Let's get the elephant in the room out of the way, shall we? I live in southern California as you all probably know, and while I love it here, I really do wish that we could experience Fall properly like most of you do. I keep joking with all of my friends that Fall is a mythical term here, because it really doesn't exist. I do however like to pretend that I know what I'm talking about. It may not be cooling off anytime soon, but I try to incorporate as much Fall as I can by changing up my accessories and beauty products to reflect the new season.

I've asked my blogger friends from different areas of the country (and Canada) to compile their personal "must-haves" lists for Fall, but I will begin today by sharing mine. I am lumping mine into two categories, style and beauty. My list doesn't change much from year to year, but it's fun to reflect anyway. All of these are classically Fall, with one trendy piece thrown in.


1. A jewel toned bag

2. Light-weight cardigans

3. The cape 

4. Vamp nails

5. Red & wine lips

If you have any questions on specific products shown, feel free to ask! I decided not to describe why I chose these because I think they are fairly obvious and speak for themselves.

The second portion of this post will be up on Monday, and I can't wait to read how my list compares with my blogger friends.

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The color of the season

Wearing //

Express dress, gorgeous option

LOFT cardigan

Vince Camuto pumps, similar

Rebecca Minkoff tote

Delezhen necklace

Express ring

Beauty //

Nails by Essie in Frock n Roll

Lips in Sorbet c/o Glo Minerals 

(use code beautygirl24 at check out)

Everywhere I look, green is making the scene. Ranging from olive, to teal, to dark emerald, it appears to be the latest "It" shade. I have to agree that it's a gorgeous addition to any wardrobe because it looks so chic. Aside from the usual jewel tones and dark neutrals that we all love in Fall and Winter, consider adding it to your essentials. I think it looks flattering on all skin tones, and brings a certain richness when paired with bronze, camel, and grey. I also love pairing green with leopard. I'm continuing to slowly incorporate Fall colors into my daily looks despite the California weather. I have to get my kicks somewhere, right?

If there's one thing you all need to own from this post though, it's my nail polish from Essie's Fall collection in Frock n Roll. Trust me, you will love it! Expect to see it on my fingers a ton!

Linking up with Rachelle and Caryl

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Sunsets & Such

Wearing //

Express Portofino in Crystal Green

Express cami

Loft jeans

MK Selma Satchel

Steve Madden flats, also cute!

J.Crew Factory necklace, love this too

Stella & Dot renegade bracelet

Elizabeth Stone bracelet (formerly Oia Jules)

Banana Republic deco bracelet

These pictures were taken on Thanksgiving. We actually didn't celebrate with family until a few days later, but it was nice to relax at home just the two of us for the first time...well ever. Since we didn't do much other then listen to music, cook for ourselves, and play with Nettie, I didn't feel like dressing up either. Honestly, I could have lounged in PJ's all day. This outfit was the next best thing. Comfortable, and most importantly, clean! I forgot to do laundry last week so I worked with what I had. I'm still enjoying my Express buys, in particular the green portofino. It's such a beautiful shade that the camera really doesn't do it justice. The next day, we went for a hike in San Diego at Torrey Pines. We deliberately went late so that we could watch the sunset overlooking the ocean. How gorgeous was it? No filter folks, just God's beauty at work. I love watching surfers. Although the water looked cold, I bet they felt blissful out there. 

~ Happy Friday ~

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