Late Summer Flare

Crochet Crop Top: MinkPink 'Cotton Fields' (on sale here from $62 to $37)

Flared Pants: Others Follow

Heeled Sandals: Jeffrey Campbell 'Encase' (on sale here from $160 to $49)

Necklace: Vanessa Mooney

Hat: Vintage

Summer may technically be over, but I tend to stretch my summer wardrobe for another month or so til SoCal temps drop lower than 80 degrees. 

One of my favorite summer items that I've been wearing quite often for the past couple months are flared pants! They're perfect for the scorching hot temps because of how thin and lightweight they are! Plus, they always come in fun colors and prints. Below are a few simple tips I always use when styling printed pants! Hope you find them helpful! 

TIPS:

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.

China Doll

Tunic Dress: 3J Workshop by Johnny Was 'Randal Formal Tunic' (here for $236)

Booties: Sam Edelman 'Landon Harness' (now on sale from $170 to $136 here)

Necklace: Vanessa Mooney 'Azaria Teardrop Necklace'

Wearing a tunic as a dress is kinda acceptable when the weather is over 95 degrees and you're short like me...right? Well...I thought so this weekend when I determined that it was just way too hot for clothes (even adorable dresses that look like expensive china sets lol). 

I was overheating so I simply layered this cute tunic from Johnny Was over a thin slip and called it a day. Unfortunately, even something as thin and breathable as this "dress" wasn't cooling me down enough and I ended up canceling plans and went swimming with my man instead. 

A Hot Mesh

Mesh Crop Top: LF Stores

Chambray Skirt: For Love & Lemons

Hat & Belt: Vintage

Laser Cut Booties: Jeffrey Campbell 'Produce' (here)

With summer starting to really heat up, its mandatory to find ways to shed as many layers as possible without looking too scandalous. Lately I've been combating these high temps with one of my favorite summer trends....MESH! Obviously mesh can be a little tricky to style because if done poorly, you could quickly go from being cool and sexy to just a plain hot mess. Below are some of the tips I used when putting my outfit together.

Styling Tips:

1) A little skin never hurt nobody. Mesh Fabric + Crop Top combo seems a little daring but I styled mine with a high waisted skirt in order to show off just a sliver of midriff. Since my top was already sheer, I tried to avoid exposing too much skin. The key here is balance.

2) Layer wisely. Again, anything sheer can easily turn too sexy if you don't layer properly. Covering your little lady bits is a MUST! So I would suggest layering your solid mesh top over a cute bralette or bandeau but if your mesh has embroidery or designs like mine, you can just opt for a simple slip or nude bra.

3) Never forget that nude shoes elongate your legs! For shorter people like me, this is a very important rule to get dressed by. In this outfit, my skirt hemline is a little longer than other miniskirts that I'm used to so I completed my outfit with these Jeffrey Campbell nude booties to help create the illusion of longer legs.

*Try dresses and tops with mesh inserts if solid mesh is a little too scandalous for your taste. Or even try out one of my favorite mesh accessories...mesh heels! These can instantly add sexiness to any outfit without running the risk of exposing too much.  So no matter what your style is, know that mesh can easily be incorporated into any wardrobe. Stay cool by trying out this hot mesh trend with me this summer!

Seas the Day!

Dress: Jen's Pirate Booty Durban Top worn as a dress (here)

Bird Cuff Bracelet: Torchlight "Thunderbird Cuff" (here)
Turquoise Cuff: Vanessa Mooney "Roxanne Cuff Bracelet" (here)

Dainty Opal Ring: Vanessa Mooney "The Femme Fatale Ring" (here)

Midi Ring: Torchlight "Triangle Midi Ring" (here)

Bangle Bracelets: Vanessa Mooney "Fight the Power" Collection on sale (here and here)
Bodysuit: Nightcap Clothing Dreamcatcher Crochet Bodysuit (here)

One of the best things about living in Southern California is the short drive to the beach. When the weather gets unbearably hot (like this past week), it's nice to have the option to escape and head to the beach for a few hours.

Eddie and I are certainly guilty of not taking advantage of the beach enough over the past year or so because of our conflicting work schedules...but no work on the weekend means seizing the day and spending quality time together in the beautiful outdoors. I simply whipped up some caprese pasta salad, sliced up some watermelon for our picnic, and off we went to Point Mugu State Park for some fun in the sun.

Capped It Off

Eddie and I capped off our Labor Day weekend by throwing a BBQ get together for a bunch of high school buddies. We decided to grill our usual go-to favorite...carne asada because you can never really go wrong with some carne asada, guacamole, chips, and salsa! We spent the day playing Cards Against Humanity (which is like an inappropriate version of Apples to Apples lol), eating and drinking, swimming, hot tubbing, and eating some more. It was the perfect ending to a perfect weekend with my love.

I wore the newest addition to my closet...this amazing One Teaspoon blazer (thanks to my amazingly generous aunt). I am so obsessed with it!!! The colors, the prints, the cut...it's all just so so so gorgeous! I've only had it for a few days but I know I'm going to be prancing around town in this piece quite often! It's just such a versatile piece that can either be dressed up or down. I decided to keep my look pretty casual for the BBQ with a simple white silk tank top, cutoff denim shorts, the blazer, and some beige colored peep-toe booties. I guess the heels and the silk weren't the most casual but it was meant to be a laid back look. 

I capped off my outfit with a leather baseball cap, which has been a favorite accessory of mine lately. Not only does it just look cute with everything, it also provides shade for my face. It's a total win win for me. Below are some tips for buying and wearing this leather cap trend.

Tips:

1) Buy a solid colored leather cap because they're easy to incorporate into any outfit. They add an instant touch of chicness and sleekness to any look. Note: I personally like solid accessories because I'm not really a pro at mixing prints. But if you are, by all means go crazy with printed and embellished caps!

2) You can style it with something feminine like a short dress or miniskirt to contrast the sweetness with some edge. 

3) You can cap off your casual t-shirt and jeans and instantly create a chic look. I personally like to add heels to most of my outfits (unless I'm running around all day) so when my clothes are more casual, I counter it with lots of accessories like layers of jewelry and heels.

Leather Cap: Urban Outfitters

Palm Tree Printed Blazer: One Teaspoon 'November Rain' (here)

Silk Tank Top: The T Refinery (Planet Blue)

Shorts: CarMar (LF Stores)

Peep-Toe Booties: Dolce Vita 'Niven' (here)

Bracelets: Vanessa Mooney (here and here) and Luv AJ (here)

Necklace: Vanessa Mooney (here)

My first plate of food...out of like 5 hahaha

Typical Natasha...Stuffing my face with food. 

Don't bother me...I'm eating, Eddie!

As the night went on, more and more old friends stopped by for pool/jacuzzi time! Notice how they're all guys?! Lol.