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Rent the Runway Gowns

July 21, 2015

I recently received word from Rent the Runway that they wanted me to pick any two dresses off the site to enjoy and take some pictures.. And let me start by saying that it was not an easy task! RTR offers hundreds of gorgeous dresses ranging in formality from poolside hanging to Oscar party. I went with a couple of fancier choices, as I don’t often have the occasion to wear gowns, so why not!

Gown – Nha Khanh c/o Rent the Runway
D’orsay pumps – Sam Edelman
Clutch – vintage sunglass case (I added the crystals)
Crystal link bracelet – J. Crew – similar
Rings – LA finds

I love when my photographer tells me a joke in the middle of shooting 😛
Overall, this dress fit me perfectly, everywhere except the length! I would have been happier if it was maybe 2-3″ longer. I believe they do offer this dress in a longer length, and in that case, it would be extraordinary for a fancy holiday party.

Next up, was this gorgeous and surprisingly comfortable ruby red gown from Badgley Mischka. It flowed so beautifully as I walked and I almost didn’t want to take it off! I actually ended up wearing it out to dinner with the boyfriend after this shoot!

Gown – Badgley Mischka c/o Rent the Runway
Bag – vintage
Necklace – LA find – similar

Photos shot by Holli Zenko.

I will of course disclose that Rent the Runway sent these dresses to me to wear at no cost. I have been using their services for over a year now, and am a member of their Unlimited membership program. More on that here. Any time I’ve had any type of issue (from a dress that doesn’t fit to shipping delays), their customer service associates have always been incredible. Their selection is amazing, as I mentioned, and includes day-to-day and date night pieces, along with those drop-dead-gorgeous gowns.

Simply Stylist – Social Media

July 19, 2015

This post should have been completed long ago, my apologies for not getting it up sooner! I’ve been really enjoying the events being put on by Simply Stylist, ever since attending their Fashion & Beauty Conference earlier this year. Recently I attended the monthly session focusing on social media, hosted by the extremely personable, entertaining and knowledgeable Ashley Torres of Pursuit of Shoes. She touched on every major social channel and how to make the most of each, and got in depth on photo editing. I learned so much and have been implementing these tools every day since! After the session, the boyfriend and I headed to lunch at The Little Next Door, a cute little French place not too far from the Grove, then for shopping at the Santa Monica promenade, and finally, to the Grand Tasting at the Santa Monica Pier.

With our extraordinary guest speaker, Ashley Torres from Pursuit of Shoes.

Dress – Rachel Roy (rented)
Floral bomber – Forever 21
Heels – Matisse Footwear
Clutch – Ela Handbags
Midi rings – Forever 21
Square ring – similar
Pyramid bracelet – Banana Republic – similar
Wire-wrapped bracelet – The Crowned Crane – similar
Cage bracelet – Nectar Clothing – similar
Dragonfly necklace – Kyle Chan Design– similar
Stone necklace – Kyle Chan Design – similar

Near the end of her presentation, Ashley announced that we would be practicing the fine art of the #flatlay. I grabbed a couple of items from TopShop and arranged them with some of the things that I brought with me, to the keep the color palette simple. I didn’t win the contest for “best flatlay” but I was pretty happy with the outcome.

After the session, I met up with Mark and we headed over to The Little Next Door, a casual brasserie located on West Third. I can’t say many good things about the service, which at times ranged from lazy to just plain rude and insulting, HOWEVER, the food was incredible. I would go back for the food alone and just ask for a different server 😉

Ahi tartare with pita slices.

Fresh, crusty bread with olive oil & balsamic, and a cup of carrot ginger soup. Yum.

We had some time to kill after perusing the vendors on the Santa Monica Promenade, so we stopped in to the Ristorante al mar for a couple of cocktails. Not a bad view, right?

After a quick outfit change, I was all ready for the Grand Tasting. Not my favorite dress that I’ve rented from Rent the Runway, but it was perfect for the warmer temperature.
Dress – Badgley Mischka (rented)
White sandals – Steve Madden
Tassel necklace – LA find

After the tasting, we still weren’t feeling satiated, so I hopped on my handy Yelp app and scouted out an awesome spot called Bacaro LA. It was the sweets that we were after, but will absolutely be back to explore the rest of their menu.

Presenting the brown butter cookie dough and homemade bread pudding. OMG yes.

Overall, it was a fantastic day with my love. Improving my craft, enjoying some fantastic food, and taking in the sights with my favorite person.
😀

LA Travel Magazine Spring Release Party

April 27, 2015

Last weekend, I was invited to the spring release of LA Travel magazine at Supperclub LA. I had no idea what to expect, other than a fun night filled with music, dancing, and celebrating another issue of a great publication.
First, my outfit for the evening!

I was OBSESSED with this Badgley Mischka dress as soon as I took it out of the Rent the Runway bag! It’s quite heavy and I was worried about not being able to wear it with a bra, as it has a large cutout in the back, but it worked out perfectly!

An aerialist from Zen Arts pouring champagne into the glasses of guests.

I loved this guy. He was so funny and theatrical, and eventually worked his entire body into that blue balloon!

The setup at Supperclub took me a bit of getting used to, but I ended up really liking the bed-like lounging areas. It was very cush and comfortable and can seat a lot of people, which is always a nice reprieve from dancing.

I ran in to these beautiful people again, looking as lovely as ever and so kind! From left is Tom Sandoval, Katie Mahoney, me, the boyfriend, and Tom Schwartz. I used to be fixated on their reality show, Vanderpump Rules, before I canceled my service provider so I was only able to catch the first 2 seasons, but it was such a guilty pleasure. Yes, it was drama and fighting, but that aside it was also the inner workings of a restaurant and frequent glamorous photo shoots and group trips to envy.

I was also able to catch up a bit with Kyle Chan, one of my favorite jewelry designers. He’s such a nice guy, and I can’t wait to visit him at the upcoming Unique LA show!

The glossy, finished product hot off the presses! This magazine features some great articles, highlighting fun things to do in AND out of LA, lots of fantastic restaurants and hot spots to visit.

Sequin dress – Badgley Mischka – Rent the Runway
Chain-strap bag – Moschino – Rent the Runway
Ankle-strap flats – Sole Society