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Puerto Rico Summer Vacay

August 11, 2016

If you follow me on Instagram, you probably caught that I recently traveled to Puerto Rico with Mark to celebrate the wedding of my friend/coworker, Amanda, to her longtime beau, Martin. We had been researching places to visit, restaurants to eat at, and things to see for about six months preceding the trip, and I still don’t think we were prepared! Puerto Rico has so much to offer.. The food was great, so much seafood, mofongo, and not overly sweet baked treats. There were museums, forts and cathedrals, and you pretty much had to take taxis wherever you wanted to go. We were lucky to have a little market called Pueblo right across from our condo, which made late-night beer runs and planning what to have for breakfast a whole lot easier. I tried to capture as much as I could, but also stay present in the moment so I could truly enjoy every experience. I hope you enjoy these pics from my Puerto Rico Summer Vacay!

Mark and I, pre-flight. Such cheeseballs.
Kimono / Bohocheri

A gratuitous in-flight cloud shot.

The grand chandelier in the lobby of our first hotel. I need this in my dining room.

Mark and I arrived a night before everyone else, so we decided to stay in downtown San Juan at the Casablanca Hotel. It certainly did have that old world kind of charm, and were thankful for the kickin’ AC.

After checking in to the hotel, we headed next door to Gringos, a Tex Mex restaurant/bar that specializes in “smoked” drinks. After a long day of flying, Mark and I definitely enjoyed testing a few of them out, along with some fantastic food and funky décor.

In the morning, we walked along these gorgeous streets in Old San Juan, in search of a delicious meal at the highly rated Caficultura. We were both left entirely underwhelmed at the whole experience, from the food, to the service, to the hammering and drilling going on in the back room. Shaking that off, we continued our morning of exploring little gift shows and boutiques, picking up some framed butterflies and art prints of the city.

Almost ready to meet up with everyone, the heat was really starting to get to me, more specifically my hair haha!
Tank / H&M // Necklace / Luv AJ from the Box of Style // Sunnies / Amazon

Finally, I meet up with Rebekah, her mom, Martin and the rest of the crew. There were 10 of us staying in a condo in San Juan, and we basically had the entire floor, with tons of room to spread out.
Top & Necklace / Banana Republic

Walking around the gorgeous blue brick streets of Old San Juan, and seeing the chapel at which the bride and groom would be married.
Top / Banana Republic // Jeans / MaviUSA from Stitch Fix // Sneakers / Superga // Bucket bag / Forever 21

Cathedral de San Juan Bautista.

Several gorgeous views while strolling around downtown.

The next day, while the girls and I wandered around some more downtown, Mark and the boys took a trip to the rainforest! I wanted to go, but it was kind of a boys bonding trip, and who am I to interrupt boy time? 😉

The next day, we took a trip to the beach!
Seriously, the most gorgeous beach I’ve ever been to. You could walk out in to the water 50 feet and still have your toes touching the sand. We stopped in to a hotel bar for refreshments and I loved their little lounge area.
Sarong / Mara Hoffman from the Box of Style

The next day was the wedding, but as an attendee (maid of honor), of course, I wasn’t able to take many pictures of the event. It started raining, but tapered off as we neared the start of the ceremony. After, we headed to the Marriott for the gorgeous reception and enjoyed our first of many drinks, haha.
Dress / ASOS // Heart necklace / Kyle Chan Design // Rings / Forever 21

The morning after the wedding, comfort food from Libros AC was just what I needed to get back to normal. I also picked up one of those adult coloring books, which I’d been wanting for a while. I love the idea of having a full-fledged bookstore and coffee shop under the same roof.

Mark and I decided to branch off from the rest of the group and spend our afternoon at the Museo de Arto. Unfortunately, they don’t allow any pictures inside the museum, but we did manage to take some great shots in the garden area. Miles of paths with works of art on either side, gorgeous trees and plants, and a huge coy pond.
Top / Stitch Fix // Jeans / MaviUSA from Stitch Fix // Necklace / Luv AJ from the Box of Style // Sneakers / Brooks Running // Sunnies / Amazon // Bucket bag / Forever 21

Our last dinner in town was spent with the whole crew, back in downtown Old San Juan. It just so happened to be National Pina Colada Day, and who am I to not partake in such an occasion? 🙂

On the plane ride home, we experienced some inclement weather, meaning circling Orlando for an hour, landing in Tampa to weight for a thunderstorm to pass, heading back to Orlando, and then to Phoenix then Ontario. About 12.5 hours on the same plane. Kind of my nightmare but we made it! I took this picture, thinking that the clouds looked like a wolf breathing fire or something, but Mark thought it, ahem.. Looked like something else. Boys..
Anyway, that is all, I hope you enjoyed my little recap of my Puerto Rico Vacay!

French Casual

August 10, 2016

Hello, loves!
Today I wanted to share a look that embodies a few elements of classic casual Parisian style. My take on French casual are pieces that easily go together (so you can pretty much grab a top and a bottom and head out the door), a neutral palette and a play on proportions. This top from BohoCheri mixes lace and breezy white silk and has a lovely voluminous quality. The espadrilles are actually from Old Navy and I love how they go with almost anything I pair them with on top. I feel like less complicated is always better when the real warm weather starts to roll in, and this notion definitely resonates in European style.
On a more personal note, this heat is REALLY starting to get to me! I’m finding it much more difficult to get outside to go for runs and even sometimes making it to my (hot) yoga class feels like torture! I know everyone is always raving about the fun days of summer, but I’m much more a fan of cooler temps. I welcome the days of tights, boots, sweaters and scarves. I kind of chuckle in my mind when I see bloggers on Insta talking about summer style and they’re wearing full scarves around their necks… I would die! A little light neck scarf I could maybe handle, but the knit infinity scarves, I would feel like I was being suffocated, for real! Anyway, until October or thereabouts when the weather drops down to a reasonable temp, I will be stockpiling the aforementioned fall gear, and until then, I can’t wait!

Top / BohoCheri // Jeans / Just Black from StitchFix // Espadrilles / Old Navy // Necklace / BaubleBar // Sunnies / Amazon // Bracelet / House of Harlow from Rocksbox (use code dressedfortimexoxo for your first month free) // Rings / Forever 21

Shot by Holli Zenko Photography.

Fringe Flutter

July 31, 2016

Hello, loves!
Today, I’m bringing the fringe! I love this “fringe flutter” look because broken down, it’s a super simple outfit recipe where the accessories really make the ensemble complete. I found these metallic crisscross sandals (from Seychelles) at the last Gilt City sample sale, and I’ve been pairing them with everything from jeans and a tee to a day dress to an LBD for a GNO. They were on super sale (around $30!), because the straps were about 6 inches too long. So random, but a quick trip to my favorite cobbler and they were perfect for about $8. Not a bad investment at under $40. If you’re ever in the area when these sales are taking place, I highly recommend attending. I’ve come home with amazing finds at about 80% off retail.
The fringe bag is from BohoCheri, a local boutique that I love. The long leather tassels are definitely part of what makes this a statement bag, because they swing back and forth as you move. I wanted to add a pop of color with my jewelry, and I’ve been OBSESSED with turquoise this summer. I love that turq can run the gamut from deeper greens to light blue, and I adore when the stone has that gorgeous veining in it, whether it’s real or not. I loved this beaded stretch bracelet from Jessica Simpson so much when I rented it from Le Tote that I ended up buying it! The little gold coins really catch the light without being garish.
On a little side note, I’ve just returned from the CA Gift Show, which is my semi-annual pilgrimage to the convention center in LA to see all of the upcoming trends in jewelry and accessories. I can’t wait to share with you all the gorgeous things I came home with!
😀

Blouse / H&M // Jeans / MaviUSA via StitchFix // Bag / at BohoCheri // Sandals / Seychelles // Necklace / Elysian & Grace (similar) // Bracelet / Jessica Simpson // Rings / Forever 21 // Sunnies / Amazon

Shot by Holli Zenko Photography.

June Stitch Fix

July 2, 2016

Hello, loves!
Another month, another shipment to drool over! For my June Stitch Fix, I asked for a large tote, a blush-colored item, a breezy maxi dress, a pair of embellished sandals and something off-the-shoulder. To be completely honest from the get-go about my shipment, the items I received were for the most part, all things that I would love to add to my closet. However, I don’t feel that my stylist honored my request to keep things on the less pricey side. When filling out your style profile, they give you the option to chose a range of price points that you would like each type of item to fall in to. There is “the cheaper the better” which I have checked for everything but outer layers. The next tier up is $50-100, which unfortunately, is where every item I was sent fell in to. I understand that some items are going to be of higher quality, made with better materials, from a prestigious designer, etc., but considering you get 5 items in each shipment, if I fell in love with everything and wanted to keep it all, that would REALLY add up quickly. I prefer to be offered several items at lower price points, so there’s a higher chance I’ll want to keep more of them. Anyway, moving on to the main event, here is what I received in my June Stitch Fix.

Necklace / Le Tote // Sunnies / Amazon
This dress was pretty damn gorgeous. The pattern featured the unexpected pairing of navy and orange, could be easily dressed up a bit with some platforms/wedges and a statement necklace or down with strappy flat sandals and a simple lariat. I think the fit was good, not great, but the thing that sealed the deal for me was that although the thin straps appeared adjustable, they would not budge. I even had Mark try to play around with them and nothing. At the length they were basically set at, the straps were just a touch too long and exposed my strapless bra underneath, a look I’m not a fan of. I probably would have kept it otherwise! Dress, $68, not purchased.

Sunnies / Amazon // Bag / Cambridge Satchel Co. from the Box of Style // Sandals / Steve Madden
Next up was this off-the-shoulder navy dress. I loved the slightly crinkled material (perfect for packing up and taking with me to Puerto Rico because I won’t have to worry about ironing it!), and it could even work for a beach cover-up or paired with heeled sandals and a long gold necklace for a night-out look. The neckline had a pretty snug elastic band, which I appreciate because I won’t have to be fussing with it constantly to keep the sleeves in place. Dress, $68, purchased.

Necklace / Elysian & Grace // Sunnies / Amazon // Sandals / Kenneth Cole // Jeans / Target
This shot features two of the items I was sent… The blush-toned corded lace blouse and the reversible tote. The top I was SO close to saying yes to but I couldn’t pull the trigger. It’s a gorgeous, well-made piece, but the price and expected cost-per-wear just didn’t add up for me. As for the tote, I’d actually tried out the same style from the same brand from a Nordstrom Anniversary sale last year, and that too went back. I just think they look kind of cheap, with the unfinished edges and construction of the bag. The color of the bag is exactly what I asked for, so that was great, but the rest failed in terms of good quality for the money. Lace top, $68, and reversible tote, $64, not purchased.

Top / BCBGeneration // Jeans / MaviUSA // Sunnies / Amazon
This look also shows two items from my June Stitch fix… The reversible tote (switched to the light blue material), and these gunmetal rhinestone-emblazoned gladiator sandals. I hate to say it, because it sounds harsh, but the sandals looked cheap. Like I could have found the same style at the ghetto-girl store for $25, tops. The little crystals were glued on and I can picture them falling off immediately with a little bit of wear. The kicker is that they weren’t cheap, they were $68 :O Back they went.

So overall, my June Stitch Fix was a little unsatisfying. I would have kept more had the price guidelines that I had set been followed. I ended up keeping just the off-the-shoulder dress because I know I’ll get tons of use out of it this summer.

What items did you request in your last Stitch Fix, or what would you request if you were signed up to receive shipments?
😀

Shot by Holli Zenko Photography.

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