Road Trip Ready

I'm back from our little tour of California! To say it was beautiful, refreshing, and exactly what I needed would be an understatement. I love to travel, but don't often get the chance. It's mostly due to money, but I'm learning that's really no excuse. Where there's a will, there's always a way. I don't need to be fancy about it either. Just give me a soft pillow and some music to listen to and I can sleep (almost) anywhere.

These are some of the outfits I wore on our trip. I had originally planned to take some pictures with our Canon, but we sadly left it in our room most of the time and resorted to our phones. I packed very lightly. Two pairs of jeans, a pair of leggings, two coats, two cardigans, my moto jacket, and my Barcelona camis. I did have one "going out" look that you'll see below, but for the most part, I stuck to the essentials and dressed casually. The weather was so beautiful that I didn't need much other than a light jacket, and even then, I got hot while walking around the bustling streets of San Francisco.

Day 1, before we left:

Wearing //

Loft jeans, similar

Express moto jacket and cami (comes in so many colors)

Steve Madden Flats

MK satchel

Gorjana cuff and necklace, similar

S&D rebel pendant

Day 2 was undocumented, but I plan on wearing that outfit this weekend because it's actually chilly enough to do so. Stay tuned :)

Day 3: (Going out for dinner)

Wearing //

Sole Society pumps

Loft coat (old)

Express cami (linked above)

Topshop skirt

Jewelry I packed and never really took off. 

Traveling gives you an honest opinion about what you truly love, and I'm realizing these pieces are definitely my favorites in my collection. They aren't cumbersome, they look great with any outfit, they layer well, and they travel easily.

I didn't do much shopping, but I did pop into a couple stores around Union Square. I bought this Gatsby-inspired bracelet at Banana Republic.

Banana Republic silver deco bracelet

More pictures from our trip coming soon! 

How are you pretty ladies doing? I always feel so disconnected after a trip!

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Spring Into Fall

Wearing //

Loft top

Topshop midi skirt, pretty options here, here and for petites

J.Crew Valentina pumps

Kate Spade bag, similar color (love), and similar style (also love)

Baublebar necklace, similar

Beauty //

Dior Addict Lipstick in Diablotine

Chanel Graphite nails

I hate the time change. It was wonderful getting an extra hour of sleep last Sunday, and I do appreciate coming home and immediately slipping into cozy pajamas and lighting five candles that make our house smell like grandma's kitchen. But man is it hard to photograph outfits! My husband and I both work, so I really don't understand how people manage to get the timing right now that the sun goes down before five o'clock. By the time we do get home each day, the sun is gone.These were taken at eleven on Tuesday, and the sun was extremely bright. I'll admit we are pretty lazy with learning more about the ins and outs of photography. We know very little actually. I get dressed, we head outside (usually rushing off somewhere), he points and shoots for a solid three minutes before we both start getting annoyed, and that's about it. 

I am however absolutely loving lighter neutrals and pastels for this Fall and Winter. I think it throws people off a little, but when you live in a place where there aren't any real seasons, your brain gets confused. I used to try so desperately to dress for the season. I wanted to wear giant luxurious coats and leather boots. But the weather tells me differently most of the time, and I've come to the strong realization that it's so much easier to just give in and dress for the climate in which you live, rather then what the season is supposed to look like. I don't live in New England, so why try to pretend I do and sweat my arse off, all the while looking like a total moron? I think I'm starting to get it, guys. This blogging thing has helped me in more ways than I thought!

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November Updates: Beauty & Travel

Just as I begin to go mad, shopping for new additions to my Fall wardrobe each year, I tend to also re-evaluate my beauty collection and the mad dash for new makeup ensues. I have no real excuse for this apparent frenzy, but so it goes like this every October, and especially in November. Are you the same way? I can't be the only crazy!
Anyway, after falling in love with my Dior Addict lipstick in "New Look" last week, I went back for one more that caught my eye. It's called "Diablotine". It's described on Sephora's website as " a sheer muted poppy red" but I think it has more peach undertones then it leads you to believe. It's one of those that you can slap on your lips rather hastily, no mirror required. This is a nice change from the pigmented reds I tend to favor because it's less work to apply.

Dior Addict Lipstick in Diablotine

Here is the first Dior Addict lipstick in New Look for comparison:

It's definitely more of a true red, as opposed to Diablotine.

Both were photographed in my bathroom using natural light, no flash.

Now let's talk about eyebrows, shall we? It's a touchy subject for me, as I have been trying desperately for about three years to correct the damage done to them by myself and others. So a little back history on them: I had very thick, somewhat unruly brows as a kid. In fact, I was often teased because of them. I was so self-conscious, that I couldn't wait to thin them out and that's exactly what I did one night in middle school. I think I was about thirteen. It was a disaster! I tweezed too much, made them completely uneven, and still wasn't satisfied so I started going to random salons to get them waxed and that was an even bigger mistake because they became so thin. I never filled them in either, so they just looked sparse. I finally found someone to trust them to, and she has really done her best to whip them into better shape. I only touch them about three times per year, and am hands off in between. I know they won't ever grow the way I'd like them to, but I can at least get some extra growth. I use Urban Decay's brow box in "Brown Sugar" to lightly fill them in, then use a spoolie to blend in the powder. Have any of you ladies tried latisse? I know it's meant for lash growth, but my esthetician recommended I use on my brows. I've been to afraid to try it, but would love any feedback you may have if you've had experience with it.

Trust me, they aren't anything to brag about, but they've come a long way! I'm too embarrassed to show you any "before" pictures, but here they are now.

Source

I probably won't post again until Monday, which I realize is the norm these days for this blog. My goal is to begin posting three times per week again, but don't hold me to it just yet! Nate and I are heading out on a California road trip of sorts, and we leave tomorrow morning. As I mentioned before, we are heading towards San Francisco but are stopping along the way, with an emphasis on coastal towns. We have both been to S.F. separately, never together, and it has been a long time. We have no plans really. We don't even have a hotel booked for Thursday or Friday night because we are attempting to be spontaneous and adventurous. Ha, even just writing that makes me laugh because he and I can be two of the most Type A and high-strung people I have ever met. Once we do get to San Francisco, we will have a hotel waiting for us, thank goodness. The rest is a mystery. I'm a little nervous, but mostly excited to travel in our car and just fly by the seat of our pants so to speak. Wish me luck! I'll tell you all about it next week :)

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Emerald Envy

Wearing //

Express portofino in green

Loft moto jeans

Zara kitten heels (old) but similar here

House of Harlow necklace, also in silver

J.Crew pave link bracelet, similar here for less

French Connection bag, similar

Ever since last Fall, I've been searching for an emerald or hunter green blouse. Searching what seems like everywhere, to no avail. I had given up already this year, when I walked into Express and spotted my favorite portofino in the color I've been wanting. God I love Express. I've said it before but I'll say it again - it never fails me! One look at the deep, rich color and it was mine, didn't even have to try it on. I think this makes portofino number 7? I've lost count. 

It's feeling like Fall here in California. Halloween usually marks the drop in temperature, but I would say this year was more dramatic than in the past. Windy falling leaves, that certain chill in the air, bad photo lighting now that it gets dark so early...I'll take whatever I can get. 

How was your weekend?

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Back to Basics {Jeans}

There's nothing I live in more than my tried and true jeans. I wear them to work because my job has a casual environment. I wear them on weekends when I don't feel like wearing my spanx underneath  skirts and dresses (and no, I'm not afraid to admit that little tidbit ladies. I love spanx). I wear my jeans A LOT! But I do adhere to a few guidelines:

1) I like mine fairly dark as they are most flattering on my body.

2) I do prefer a skinny or straight leg style, but I don't typically go for "jeggings" because they are usually too tight.

3) At 5'2, I shop for a petite length,

4) I don't spend much money on them. I love higher-end denim brands as much as the next girl, but I just can't bring myself to spend that amount. These days, you don't have to sacrifice quality either.

5) I like to pair jeans with polished looking accessories to elevate the style from super casual, to a little dressy.

Keeping all of these in mind, here are my favorite pairs.

Loft Curvy Skinny jeans

They accommodate a larger bottom, but are still slim through the legs. They are extremely comfortable.

Loft modern skinny jeans in a light distressed wash

These were so different for me! I had never owned a pair of distressed denim before, mainly because my mom used to tease people about them and like most mothers and daughters, her comments annoyed me. I got over that though, and I am still in love with these and wear them quite often. I don't like too much distressing, just enough to look intentional so these are perfect. The fit is great as well.

Banana Republic Skinny jeans, similar

These are an old favorite, as I've had them for over five years now! This picture was taken last year around the Holidays. I'll admit that they are taunting me from my closet as we speak because they are one size too small now that I've put on some extra weight. I hope to fit my booty back into them soon! They are beautifully made, super soft, and almost have a slight sheen to them. 

Old Navy Rockstar jeans

Oh yes, an oldie. Before I was married, before we moved into our condo, and before my husband took over the camera and moved things outdoors for blog photos. I love ON jeans. These have just enough stretch to keep them comfortable, but they don't stretch out too much so you aren't pulling them up around your waist constantly. They come in petite and tall sizes. 

By the way, I can't bring myself to wear that bubble necklace anymore. Man that was a huge trend at the time! 

Loft Moto jeans

My new favorite - I've worn them incessantly since buying them just a month or so ago. I liked them so much, that I bought a second pair last week when they were 50% off!

I hope this little guide is helpful to you ladies who are in the market for flattering, affordable, and comfortable jeans. I may continue with this type of post that features favorite items of clothing such as blouses, skirts, even jewelry. Does it sound like something you'd be interested in reading? 

Also, let me know what your favorite jeans are, especially for petites! 

Oh, and Happy Halloween tomorrow! See you next week.

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White in the Fall

Wearing//

Express Barcelona cami

Express moto jacket

Topshop white skirt, similar here & here

J.Crew pumps

Stella & Dot bracelets

Gorjana cuff

Gorjana necklace, similar here & here

I think white has quickly become my favorite color to wear. Sure, that age old rule clearly states that white after Labor Day is a faux pas, but I love breaking that one. Some rules are just too stuffy to follow!  We associate darker shades for Fall and Winter, pastels and brights for Spring and Summer. I can see where that stems from, and I admit to following this pattern year after year, but it's so predictable! I feel like every year is the same routine. How about we all just wear what makes us happy, and re-think these so-called style rules? Isn't that a novel idea!

And for the record, my weekend was much better this time around. We had dinner with friends, went to a movie, ate some delicious food at a Greek festival, and got some much needed sleep. We also planned our road trip up north that we have coming up on November 6th. So far we have Santa Barbara, Pismo Beach, Solvang, Monterey, and San Fransisco squeezed into five days. More on that in another post :)

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