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Spring Wardrobe Additions

May 2, 2015

I know they call it spring cleaning because you’re supposed to purge your closet of all of the cast-offs and overly saturated items from last season/year… But my typical approach to the tradition is when I take things out of storage, to keep most of what I already have (unless it’s stained, scratched, tarnished, or holey), and work it back in to the rotation, along with adding in some new pieces to jazz things up a bit.
I think it helps that I try to stay away from overly trendy pieces… You will not see me rocking a pair of culottes or a choker anytime soon. Mostly the last one because I like to have free range of motion of my neck, but I digress.. Some pieces you can just tell are going to be so short-lived, not to mention unflattering (have you seen what a peplum does to a girl with wide hips?!) A maxi dress, midi skirt, striped t shirt, ankle-strap flats, etc. will always be on-trend because they’re pretty timeless and classic. Prints and fabrics sometimes will date an item, but that’s when adding a fresh new piece comes in to play…
Below are a few things I’ve picked up recently to integrate in to my wardrobe which you will definitely be seeing more of in future posts 😀

These bad boys from Dolce Vita (another NordRack find) were already featured on my Instagram page, but I thought they deserved a second look. They’re so versatile in that great neutral brown/grey/beige tone and could easily add polish to a monochrome ensemble (I’m thinking all black or all white would be amazing!)

I first came across the leopard calf hair version of these ankle-strap flats at Nordstrom Rack, and thought OMG, these are perfect for work or for brunch or pretty much anything. And they’re $30 (!!!!) And then, I came across the black ones and knew there wouldn’t be much point in sitting there deciding which to buy because I would wear both of them constantly.

These caught my eye for the obvious reasons, but the thing that drove it home for me was that they reminded me of some lovely sandals that Alyson Haley of Sequins & Things had posted recently here. I loved the opal and bright stones mixed together, but they were a bit more than I wanted to spend at $110. These beauts were on sale for $40 and are a pretty close match.

Ok, so maybe I went a little overboard with my summer sunglasses stash, but I couldn’t help it! I found some great pairs at a steal ($20 each!) from Free People and Nasty Gal, and I’m constantly losing, breaking, scratching and otherwise destroying glasses so I need a bunch to choose from that I won’t cry over their demise.
From the top:
Free People Bel Air
Free People Abbey Road
Free People Kensington
Nasty Gal Deviant
Free People Bel Air
I also picked up these from Nasty Gal but I’m not sure if I’ll be keeping them.

This lovely vintage dress and the midi skirt below were picked up last weekend at the Artisanal LA event last weekend. I thought we were all done, after a couple hours of perusing pickled vegetables, goat’s milk cheese, painted truffles, etc. until I walked out and spotted the most awesome airstream trailer bursting with racks of shift dresses, pleated skirts and straw totes. The shop is called Blossom Vintage, and I chatted with the proprietor, Jamie, for a while about her traveling business. Read her cute store here. She made me an awesome deal on this dress ($30!!) and while I may have to have it taken in, I will get so much use out of it this summer.

This pleated midi skirt is perfectly on trend right now! It fits very snugly around the hips (it’s a size smaller than I normally wear), but if I pull it up a bit, it is wearable and so cute!

Look at these little zebra fellas! They’re so adorable and quirky!

I’m still waiting to receive my order from LOFT, but as soon as I found out about it, I knew I had to partake in their 50% off sitewide sale! Unfortunately, the sale ended yesterday, but I’m sure they’re have another one along shortly 😉
Clockwise, from top left:
Floral Midi Dress
Embroidered Tassel Blouse
Tropical Midi Dress
Swallowtail V-Neck Shell
Blouson Tee
Love Triangles Tee & Skirt
Swallowtail Sweater
Update, I just checked their site and everything is 40% with no code needed! So there ya go haha!

And last but not least, some more shoesies I found on a recent trip to Nordstrom Rack. I’ve already broken in the Louise et Cie and Tory Burch Eddie flats at work, and the Calvin Klein nude pumps running around town. I’m in love with the other two pairs, the snakeskin, ankle-strap pumps from Joe’s and the Matisse wedge sandals, but have yet to find the occasion to wear them.. With summer fast approaching, I don’t think that will be the case for much longer! I also picked up a Vince Camuto open-front cardigan, a couple of tops for work and a fun tank for yoga.

What have you purchased recently for the upcoming warmer months?
😀

A Glimpse Inside My Medicine Cabinet

February 13, 2015

Welcome to the sometimes clusterf*** that is my hair-centric medicine cabinet. I am lucky enough to live in a house with a spare bathroom. Or should I say my boyfriend is lucky, because I don’t think he’d appreciate my love of hair-care products taking over our shared space!… Regardless, it has taken some time to accumulate the products I think are best suited for my hair. I don’t have much brand loyalty, (except for maybe Bumble and Bumble), as most of my products come from all different types of stores and are purchased on a whim. I often find that the brand that makes the incredible hairspray also makes the super greasy serum, and so on, so I like to mix it up! I do love trying out new things, hence the abundant sample-sized section on the right, and my subscriptions to Ipsy and Birchbox certainly feed that addiction.

So I’ve tried my best to organize my products in order of use.. Such as “before blow-drying”, “while styling”, and “finishing touches.”
Starting at the top left, I have pre-blowdry serums and oils, some of which enhance curls or help keep hair straight, depending on the look I’m going for. Below that, are volumizing and prep sprays when blow-drying. Beneath those are pre-blowdrying protective mists and leave-in conditioners.
The middle section at the top holds styling and flyaway creams, sea salt sprays and finishing oils. Under those are texturizing powders and gels; on the bottom shelf is mousse, more root-boosting spray and beach-hair potions.
On the right side you’ll find mini sizes of hair masks and treatments, travel sizes of dry shampoo and dry conditioner, and finally, a rather small (if you ask me!) selection of hairspray. I’m partial to the sprays that also impart some shine, while holding a style, and I have one from Kenra that does the job perfectly, but it has to live underneath the sink because it is like 20″ tall! It is a bit pricey, but that bottle continues to last and last.

What is your ultimate hair-care brand? Or do you also like to mix and match from various makers?

CA Gift Show

February 8, 2015

A quick warning, this post contains a gratuitous amount of pictures that I shot recently in LA at the California Gift Show and the Reef. As I’ve mentioned in previous posts, the Gift Show is not open to the public, but only to those who have reseller’s permits (the majority of sellers are offering their goods at wholesale prices). My mother owns a gift basket company and she frequently incorporates jewelry and décor in to her designs, which led us to our first gift show, 17 years ago.
A few things have changed since then, such as the name of the LA Mart (now, the Reef), but some are exactly the same.. Every time we walk in to the cash-and-carry portion of the show, I know it’s going to be a fun, exploratory time, and that I will leave with some great new pieces to add to my collection. This time around, I tried to take as many pictures as I could to capture all that the Gift Show (at the LA Convention Center) and the Reef have to offer.. I hope you enjoy!

Rows and rows of perfect layering necklaces for $5.

Clutches and miniaudieres in every possible creature and color.

This breathtaking art deco piece in the middle caught my eye and held it. Such gorgeous detail. It also happens to be made with real diamonds and thus the $25K price that’s attached to it is slightly outside my price range (OMMGGG).

Some pretty little displays at one of the Reef’s showrooms.

These stacks of enamel, leather and gold bracelets are such great inspiration for stacking!

We hit a wall around lunchtime (so much walking!) and were happy to discover food trucks waiting for us right outside the doors at the Reef! I went with shrimp tacos and guac & chips, yumm!

I would love to be able to say that D.L.&Co. are my favorite candle company, based on their scents alone, but alas, I am not rolling in dough and cannot afford the $85 and up price tag that they command. So pretty though..

In lust with this rainbow display of home fragrance goods.
I
Everything from this jewelry line was just calling out my name! Unfortunately, they had a minimum order (including how many of each piece you had to purchase) so I didn’t buy any of them, but a girl can dream!

House of Harlow Collection candle sets.

I love this bag! It’s fun and fresh and big enough to hold all the makeup and tools you’d need for a trip.

We finished our day with some sushi at one of my mom’s favorite spots. This is the schwarma roll (how they named it that, I have no clue!) but it has jalapeno, cilantro, and spicy tuna on top which make for quite a hot little bite!

Whew! I had so much fun at this year’s winter show and picked up some great little finds (such as my recent post on the necklaces I got from Kyle Chan!) and can’t wait for the next one in July… Who knows what that one will have in store for me!
Which leads me to the question I’m curious to hear your response on… Would you prefer just making a couple of multi-item or haul purchases a year (such as at a big sale or event) or do you prefer to make multiple small purchases throughout the year on random items?

😀

Kyle Chan at the California Gift Show

February 5, 2015

Every 6 months, I make the hour drive to LA to experience a cash-and-carry shopping extravaganza like no other. I save up considerably for this event, knowing that I’m sure to find oodles of fun and on-trend jewelry to get me through the next 6 months. I must admit that the booth I’ve come to look forward to stopping by the most is Kyle Chan Design. I’ve been following his work for a couple of years now and just find the most beautiful intricacy in his work. Each piece feels so thought-out and special, and I’ve amassed a little collection of necklaces, bracelets, and rings that I hold very dear. One of these days, I’ll save up for one of his diamond and gemstone rings, but until then, here is a sneak peak at some of the goods that were being offered at the show..

My favorites from this set would have to be the amber teardrop pendant (second in from the right), the stardust necklace (one more over from the right) and that adorable little gold penguin charm!

I would seriously wear every one of these, and just rotate them to go with my outfit for the day. They’re gorgeous! Thus far, I only have a bright green chrysoprase version, but I have my eye on the one in the middle here, with the gold pyrite and labradorite beads intermixed.

OBSESSED with this extra-long mixed tourmaline necklace. I can see it worn so many ways, like over a basic white tee, with a colorful dress or skirt, over a neutral-colored sweater… The possibilities are endless.

I adore all of these brilliantly simple gold charm pendants. I currently own the octopus, the bumblebee, and a tiny heart. I’ve been eyeing the hummingbird and, of course, the penguin!

On my wishlist currently is this stunner… It’s rose gold and morganite (and diamonds, of course), and goes for around $3,350. Definitely an investment piece!

Myself with the designer, Kyle Chan.

Soon to be posted are my buys from the show!
😀