Saturday, August 31, 2013

Skirting the Issue

I've accumulated dozens of awesome midi and maxi skirts in the past couple years and I kind of forgot about them this summer. After packing and unpacking my clothes from boxes during the move, I found some hidden gems that I haven't worn in ages including this super cute MinkPink midi skirt.

I knew I was going to be out running errands all day in the crazy heat so I decided to wear something that would keep me cool and comfortable. And this outfit did just that! I was out and about from 9am to 5pm and didn't even have time to head home and change outfits before heading to dinner with my boyfriend and friends in Pasadena. 

I paired my midi skirt with a fitted Theory tank top, some comfortable Seychelles flats, and my Chloe purse. I'd typically wear midi skirts with heels to elongate my legs but I broke my own rules all for the sake of comfort. 

Tips:

Don't skirt the issue, people! Pulling off the midi/maxi skirt look isn't as hard as you may think. People are always worried that these skirts could potentially swallow you whole if you're not a model...but not all long skirts are evil! You just have to find the right length for your height! It really is a trial and error process...so be patient! There isn't a set rule on how to choose a skirt length but I recommend hemlines that hit the part of your leg that begins to thin out. That way your legs won't appear short and stumpy.

Try lighter fabrics before it gets too cold and slowly transition to thicker and heavier fabrics for fall and winter! Have fun with it and soon enough you'll find a perfect length for you!
Tank Top: Theory (similar here
Striped Skirt: MinkPink (here)
Flat: Seychelles (here on SUPER SALE)
Purse: Chloe
Bracelets: Vanessa Mooney (here), Cartier, and vintage
Necklace: Charlene K
 
We went to Slater's 50/50 for burgers and beers.
And finished off our night with some gourmet ice cream at Coolhaus (which is my absolute favorite ice cream place with my favorite gross sounding but heavenly tasting flavor--fried chicken and waffles!)

Wednesday, August 28, 2013

Don't Be Such A Pansy

How wild and fun are these printed trousers?! I bought these babies at the beginning of summer and haven't found the time to wear them yet. Since summer is coming to an end, I figured I'd bust them out for a stroll.

To be honest, I haven't really gone out much at all since I've moved into my new home. The boyfriend and I also haven't seen much of each other with the exception of him helping me move furniture, build my bed, install my appliances, etc. In the 11 years we've known each other, he's helped me move about 5 or 6 times! That's true love and dedication, y'all (especially because I'm kind of a hoarder when it comes to clothes and furniture) hahaha! Anyway, we haven't had any fun dates together in awhile. He's been working his bumbum off and I've been cooped up at home. So on his first free night in over a week, we went out to dinner together! 

I wore these crazy printed trousers with a simple black velvet top and my Jeffrey Campbell clear-heeled sandals. Believe it or not...I used to be afraid of prints! For the longest time, I'd only buy solid colored bottoms with an occasional printed top here and there. Now I'm all about the crazy, funky prints and patterns! I mean...I still buy alot of basics too because they're great for layering (especially during the colder months), but I'm definitely experimenting alot more. 

TIPS:

Here are some quick and simple tips for those of you that are scared of printed bottoms but want to step outside your comfort zone. Don't be such a pansy (like my pants) and try this look out:

1) Pair your printed bottoms with a solid colored top. Typically, I'd choose a top in a color that's also found in the bottom. This will help bring your look together and make it cohesive.
2) Choose a fitted top if your bottoms are looser and flowy. And choose a looser top for the more fitted bottoms. This will help balance out your whole look.
3) I would suggest wearing printed bottoms with some sort of heel to elongate your legs. The busy prints can make your legs appear shorter so throw on some heels to finish off the look.

Hope these simple tips help. I'd love to see pics of how you guys style your printed trousers so send me links or emails! I love hearing from you guys!
Top: MinkPink 'Witchcraft Velvet tee' (here)
Printed Trousers: vintage
Shoes: Jeffrey Campbell 'Affair' (here)
Clutch: J.J. Winters (here in orange boa )
Coral Necklace: vintage
Bracelets: Vanessa Mooney (here) and Jenny Bird (here)

Monday, August 26, 2013

50 Shades of Blue

I kind of went a little overboard with the blue yesterday lol. Not only was my flowy chiffon tank top already like 50 shades of blue, I paired it with some cobalt blue shorts from Joe's Jeans and a light blue overshirt from LF tied around my waist. I finished off the look with some white Jeffrey Campbell shoes, and blue and silver Vanessa Mooney accessories. Talk about overkill huh?! Hahaha

I wore this casual monochromatic outfit to hangout with some friends downtown. We spent the day just relaxing and catching up over sandwiches, pasta salads, and mimosas. After Miley Cyrus' annoyingly catchy song "We Can't Stop" played about 4 or 5 times, we decided to spend the rest of the day outside. We trekked over to Grand Park for some water splashing fun in the fountain, some hypnotic and repetitive sounding music that started to put us all to sleep, and a wide selection of food trucks. All in all, it was a good day spent with great people! Happy Monday!

Tank Top: Olive & Oak
Shorts: Joe's Jeans (here)
Shoes: Jeffrey Campbell 'Fontane' (here in white)
Overshirt: LF Stores
Necklaces: Vanessa Mooney (here)
Bracelets: Vanessa Mooney (here and here) and Luv AJ (here)

Thursday, August 22, 2013

Coast is Clear

It's no secret that lucite accessories have been all the rage this past spring and summer. Personally I am a total fan of lucite accents in fashion...especially lucite heels on shoes!  A great lucite shoe is kind of like a mullet...business in the front and party in the back! There's only a minor difference between the two...lucite heels are awesome and mullets aren't so much lol. But who am I to judge. Maybe I'll look back at my blog one day and ask what the heck I was thinking with these clear heels of mine. But at the moment, I am adoring this trend! 

I actually purchased my first pair of clear-heeled shoes about 3 years ago and people either thought they were the most amazing things ever or just super tacky. With the help of the big designers and their fabulous runway shows, these babies have become more socially acceptable. To be honest, it's not like I cared if people liked my taste in shoes or not but it's just fun to see other ladies (other than hookers) struttin' around in clear heels too lol.

For this look, I paired one of my latest lucite shoe purchases with a color blocked blouse and some gray snake printed shorts. The snake print along with the clear heel are pretty subtle details that add a whole lot of fun and excitement to the neutral colored outfit. I finished off the look with some simple accessories, which included a long Vanessa Mooney silver chain and earrings, and a Luv AJ caged cuff. 

Hope you guys are enjoying the lucite trend as much as I am!

Blouse: Olive & Oak
Shorts: Carmar (LF Stores)
Lucite Heels: Jeffrey Campbell "Affair" heels (here)
Bracelet: Luv AJ (here)
Necklace: Vanessa Mooney

Tuesday, August 20, 2013

Tree Huggers

Although I come off as a girlie girl, my absolute favorite thing to do is go camping with my boyfriend! We typically go beach or desert camping together so camping in the forest was something new for us as a couple. We would love to get out of the city more often but the trouble is just finding the time for these trips. My boyfriend's work schedule is so unpredictable so that makes it hard for us to plan anything. This time around, we went with his family to Sequoia National Park and Kings Canyon National Park. We left Friday before the sun came up and returned Sunday night. We also kind of cheated with the whole "camping" part of the trip this time because we stayed in their nice fancy trailer with 4 beds, a full kitchen, a shower, and a flush-able toilet lol.

This post isn't really fashion related at all but more of a little journal of my hiking adventures.

Day 1

We set up camp and went exploring around the campsite, which was right in between a meadow and a creek. Absolutely gorgeous!

Cap: Nike
Tank Top: Emma and Sam (LF Stores)
Bottoms: Adidas (here)
Sneakers: Asics
Sweater: Woodleigh (similar here here)
Obviously we were really roughin' it huh!?! Lol.
Hanging out by the creek.
Do you even lift, bro?!
It's Shamu!!! Eddie went swimming with a killer whale...in the middle of the forest!
Grilling some shrimp and veggies for dinner!
Attempting to make s'mores on a propane grill because the Camp Host wouldn't allow campfires for the time being. Major fail.

Day 2
Cap: Nike
T-shirt: Emma and Sam (LF Stores)
Shorts: Nike (similar here)
Shoes: Asics
Jacket: Orage (similar here)
(if you were wondering what the heck I was doing with a snow jacket 
in the middle of summer, it's because the cave was freezing inside)
Enjoying the nice cold air blowing out of Crystal Cave as we wait for the tour to begin.
These pictures don't do this cave any justice! (Tip: tickets sell out every single day so buy your ticket a day in advance)
The beautiful waterfall right outside the Crystal Cave.
Exhausted! Taking some breaks as we hike up the steep mountain after the cave tour.
After the cave, we visited one of the oldest living things on earth...General Sherman!
The boy and I with General Sherman. 
They cut a hole in the trunk of a giant sequoia that had fallen decades ago and made it a walkway...I saw a hole in the center and had to take a peek inside lol
Enjoying some beers while we stargazed. And then we made s'mores on the stove top in the trailer because the propane grill was such a bust the night before.

Day 3
Woke up at 5:30am to head to the Big Trees Trail and had to pull over and snap a shot of the sun creeping over the mountain.
Our hike to the Big Trees Trail.
Crawled my way on a fallen tree to the center of the meadow that's surrounded by giant sequoias. Fun fact: this picture was taken right before Eddie saw a bear and told me to calmly get back to the trail so we could hurry up and leave. If he had kept the panorama shot going, we would have captured the bear! I can honestly tell you, my heart was beating a mile a minute when I saw that bear! Luckily the bear didn't see us.
We only managed to get 1/4 of the way through the Big Trees Trail so we were pretty bummed. But we stopped by General Sherman again for some more pictures. This time we weren't fighting with 100 people for a quick picture.
Tree hugging.
We went back to camp and picked up Eddie's dad to go scout out a future camp ground when we stumbled upon more trails.
We parked the truck and hiked up to Buck Rock Lookout...which has to be one of the coolest things I have ever seen!
Climbed the steep steps to reach the lookout tower. Counted 171 steps that someone had to build...8,507 above sea level! Fun fact: back in the day before the lookout tower was built, someone would climb to the top of the rock and keep an eye out for fires. If there was a fire, that person would quickly climb down and ride his horse to the fire and put it out. How awesome is that?!
Note the old 70ish year old man fixing the flagpole on the right!
We went back to camp again after Buck Rock and fueled up on hotdogs and raspberries and hit some more trails. This time in search of the meadow near out campsite. We never found it lol...
So we went back to the creek for a quick dip.

Cap: Urban Outfitters
T-Shirt: Emma and Sam (LF Stores)
Pants: Lululemon (similar here)
Shoes: Keds (similar here)
Jacket: American Apparel
We brought alittle something home with us! Our own giant sequoias! Eddie and I are racing to grow the tallest, prettiest, and biggest tree during our lifetime!