Transition.

By now, most of us should be getting used to the fact that winter is here, the holidays are upon us, and warm weather is no more... yes, even in Southern California. I think it took me a little longer than most, but I've finally coming to terms with the fact that beachwear and sundresses can be stored away in a far far away place for another few month. Hopefully most of you are much further ahead than I am with facing reality, but for those of you who are not, don't be so quick to store away all your summer loves. Many times those seasonal pieces can be mixed and matched with fall and winter wear to create numerous outfit possibilities. 

Layering! Such a beautiful thing.

I stumbled across these photos taken in late summer/early fall, and realized that they are the perfect transition example.

I purchased this dress to wear in the summer months. Its sleeveless and cool, while at the same time, very appropriate for most business settings, or in my case, school settings. The one thing I love about this dress is how versatile it is. Versatile... I know! I say it over and over again. But when you have great pieces that can be worn so many different ways it leaves so much room for endless ensemble ideas. Also, you'll have minimal shopping needs and an easier time with work outfit planning... win win.

Here I made it simple. Cognac sandals with a small heel, a gorgeous leather bag, and a simple watch. Easy.

Check out more photos from the summer photo session below, and then get check out some ideas of how to implement this look into a winter love.

 

Outfit Breakdown

Dress: Old Navy $20
Shoes: Nine West Outlet Nine West $15

Bag: Banana Republic $... 

(I can't tell you! It was a gift for my 

sis from me and I'm not gonna 

blast that on here ;)

Watch: Fossil Outlet Fossil $30

Now, the other fantastic part about this outfit... its so not just a summer dress! The black and tan color of the dress make completely wearable for any season. Unfortunately for myself... my photographer and I are geologically not so close anymore. So, I must devise a new way of getting these ideas up and out, but until then, all I ask is for patience and a little imagination. ;)

Here are some ideas how to make this outfit cold weather ready:

1. A Black Blazer.                             2. Black Tights.                                          3. Cognac Boots

* If you're wearing the blazer with a dress, especially one with an A-line skirt, keep the jacket on the shorter side so it doesn't swallow up you or your outfit.

* If you wear black tights, aim toward pair that have a sheerness to them. Especially if you do a black blazer or cardigan... it gives a little more dimension to the outfit.

* If you go for boots, maybe throw on a cardigan and scarf, and keep your look a little more casual. If I was wearing these boots with my dress above, I'd wear sheer black tights, a black cardigan and a dark teal scarf. Its always fun to "pop a color."

Check out your closet and see if there is anything you overlooked in transitioning over to the cold side of the year. Mix and match with your favorite winter accessories and see what you can create! As always, if there are questions... send them my way and feel free to let me know what you come up with yourself! 

Remember what you wear isn't really important. Who you are is an artistic and unique creation, and clothing, accessories, hairdos, and shoes are nothing but decorative tools.

Arranging outfits makes me happy. Seeing people confident in how they look makes me happy. And witnessing someone recognize the beauty within themselves and helping them see it, is a worthy goal that I will continue to pursue. Hope each of you reading this takes time to appreciate the absolute value that you hold. 

Have a fantastic day :)

            

Color Me... Cranberry?

Its only fitting. 

Cranberry makes me think of cold weather. Of fall. Of pretty leaves. Of cozy days and nights to come. Maybe it has something to do with cranberry being so popular around the fall and winter holidays... cranberry sauce at Thanksgiving, cranberry wreathes at Christmas... either way I love the berry and the color.


You can probably imagine my excitement when I found these beautiful cranberry colored skinnies. 


Now, listen to me when I say... I'm not really the biggest advocate of colorful pants/bottoms. I really only promote, aka love, red pants, however I think my mind was changed when I met these lovlies...

Had so many outfit ideas for these babies. Couldn't decide where to start! I expected to wear them to work first. They can definitely be dressed up with a button down, nice sweater, or blazer. Nude, black, or heels with a fun print would be fantastic with these. Boots would look great, except they hide one of the best details about these pants... the sweet little zipper up the side of each leg. 


With all these ideas going through my head when I brought them home, I was surprised when my first cranberry pant outfit was totally something I didn't even imagine. Over the weekend, I was on the hunt for an easy outfit to throw on. So I rummaged through my closet and this is what I found: cranberry skinnies, a graphic tee, and my favorite wedges.

Love the cranberry and my turquoise shoes together <3

The zipper!

Like how easily this came together.
Fun outfit for a day out.

Can't wait to try these with so many different clothing pieces! Please don't get upset if you see these pants in many future posts to come. Glad to have moved past my colorful "red pants" only phase... even though... these are sort of red. Hmmm. How about you? Do you do colorful pants? And if yes... what colors? Give me some ideas people!

 Feeling like a superhero ;) 

Cranberry pants definitely saved the day.

Outfit Breakdown

Shirt: Marshall's h.i.p. $12

Pants: Marshall's KENAR $20

Shoes: Payless $10

Watch: Fossil Outlet Fossil $30

Keep it casual.

And simple.

I like simple. 

Visited my sis this weekend and was able to get a few photos in of a casual and, yes, simple weekend outfit. Can't go wrong with dark jeans, a white tank, wedges, and great jacket.

The Look:

Always remember that just cause you want to be comfortable
and casual, doesn't mean you have to sacrifice the class.
Choose clothing pieces that fit your body well, are
tailored, and/or are easy to pair with lots of different outfits.

I absolutely adore this jacket. Its a linen and cotton mix, and the material
is so lightweight that I can practically wear it everyday. I love that
it is a versatile piece that I'll be getting a lot of use out of; not only because
its comfortable, but because it can go with so many other things.

Love the practicality... love even more
when practicality and style go together ;)

Try a messy side ponytail to change up your look. 

Fun and simple accessories bring the everything together
and add interesting a your look as a whole.
This new ring is a favorite. I wear it EVERYDAY.

A fun little color pop is always a fantastic way to liven any outfit. 
All I have to say is... teal/turquoise shoes are the way to go!

Simple and easy... and well, you're pretty much ready to go anywhere. Look to see what simple pieces you have in your closet. Assess your pieces for structure, a great fit, and simplicity. The simpler the patterns and subtle the tones, the easier it is to mix and match with other pieces. Play around with putting your items together... and THEN look for some fun accessories to bring the whole outfit together. Any ideas or questions... shoot them my way! I'm always happy to give suggestions when I can :)

Outfit Breakdown

Jacket: Gap $16

Tank: Gap $7

Jeans: Marshall's $25

Shoes: Payless $10

Bag: Marshall's Steve Madden $35

Watch: Fossil Outlet $30

Pre Sleep-In Attire ;)

Cheers to the weekend! Its always a long time coming, yet so welcome when it arrives. Whether it includes a a night out, a day at the beach, home projects accomplished, some much needed relaxation, or just the simple joy of not having to think about work for a couple of days, I always get a little burst of joy when I feel Friday approaching. 

For today's post, I decided to choose a "night out" outfit. These photos are actually from a night when I took my sister out for her birthday. We went out to the city to see the Broadway performance of Les Miserable. She had never seen it before, and absolutely loved the production. I know that's besides the point, but we definitely had a great time getting dressed up for the theater and having a fun sister night together. 

The Look: I choose a pretty simple shift style dress for this evening. Shift dresses tend to not have much waist definition, but can look very classy. However, the "shift" doesn't usually fit my body type well, only because I tend like my clothes a bit more fitted and tailored. However, because of the slight stretch in this dress's material, it totally worked for me. Loved the slight shimmer in the grey and felt that I didn't need a lot of jewelry to dress up my outfit. Chose a couple simple long strands for my necklace, my favorite gold watch, and my nude high heels... always makes the legs look longer ;)








As the night went on, it turned a little chilly, and I was happy to pair my dress with an tangerine colored cover-up. I felt the light and sleek jacket, was still classy, but liked that it added a bit of color to my outfit. Made a last minute decision to put up my hair before my sister and I left and definitely felt very satisfied to how the look came together. 

Outfit Breakdown

Dress: Marshall's $20

Jacket: Ross Edge $16

Shoes: Marshall's Franco Sarto $32

Jewelry: Banana Republic $8.50 & $10

Watch: Michael Kors Gift

Bag: Buffalo Exchange Dooney & Burke $30

That's all I have for my night out. Just wanted to add a little refelction: Hope each one of you reading this is thoroughly enjoying your weekend. If you have a special night/day out coming up, love every minute. If you have no plans at all, soak up that quiet alone time. If you are working, be thankful for work and enjoy your time off when you have it later :) There is so much to be appreciated and thankful for in this life. No matter where you are... think about a few of the things, people, qualities about yourself that you truly are grateful for... I know that reflecting on a  "few" always leads me to remember all the millions of other blessings I have in my life as well. That's never a bad thing. Cheers :)

"Your living is determined not so much by what life brings to you as by the attitude you bring to life; not so much by what happens to you as by the way your mind looks at what happens."

-Khalil Gibran

A little fun never hurt anyone.

"Today was good. Today was fun. Tomorrow is another one."  

                                                                -Dr. Seuss

That's pretty much what I was thinking yesterday... so I'm hoping for some good & fun today as well. Since I am feeling in such a cheery mood, I decided to pick up my favorite shoes (Tom's. Wedges!) and plan my outfit around them. 

Today's look is fairly casual for work, but I like how it all came together. Fun pleated skirt. Simple ivory colored top with a fun lace like neckline. My mustard sweater (love mustard!). Black tights (yay fall!). And last but not least... my lace up Tom's with wedges. So comfortable. I could literally wear them all day. (And I probably will!) I'm bummed that this photo didn't show a clear shot of the shoes, considering that is what my outfit was planned around, but I'll just have to come up with a new ensemble inspired by Tom's at a later date ;)

After taking this photo, and reassessing my dress, I added on a congac colored skinny belt and around my waist, and a gold Michael Kors watch to bring everything together. 

So this is my fun outfit for the day! What do you put together when you're feeling in an especially agreeable mood? Or does your wardrobe choice change at all depending on your daily disposition? Feel free to share your thoughts :) And please... enjoy your day!

"Don't ever become a pessimist... a pessimist is correct oftener than an optimist, but an optimist has more fun, and neither can stop the march of events."

-Robert A. Heinlein

Outfit Breakdown

Sweater: Banana Republic $20

Top: Gap $7

Skirt: Loft $20

Tights: Gap $6

Shoes: Tom's - Gift 

Purse: Steve Madden- Marshall's $35

All in a days work...

Just a short little post today. 

I just recently started a new job, and with that, I am trying to stay creative in my outfit choices while trying to achieve a look more on the professional side. I always enjoy figuring out what I'm to wear for the day... more so, what is going to represent me for the day. Today's look was simple, and well... comfortable. If that isn't telling, I don't know what is.

 Here is the look...

Was really excited to wear this top. Its is a thick pliable material that feels amazing and comfy but still has shape and looks professional.

Love the pattern of this top. I am always a little shy when it comes to prints but this black and cream print is clean and classy. Loved it paired with a pair of simple slim cropped black slacks and a pair of fun nude heels ( I always wear heels with cropped pants! Makes the legs look longer). Wore my fossil watch to keep the warm tones in my look to soften the black and white outfit.

And just below is everything put together...

Alright... yes, I'm in the bathroom. Its okay, get your laugh in and then feel sorry for me right after. I'm very sad to have to live so far away from my little sister, aka my expert and oh-so-patient photographer. Its just not the same having to take selfies. Kinda takes the class out of the whole look I was going for, but oh well, its what I had to work with, so here ya go! 

Hair up. Glasses on. Black and White. Strutting heels. 

Basically as classy as a bathroom photo can get ;)

Outfit Breakdown

Top: Verve- Marshall's $15

Pants: Gap Slim Crop- Gap $25

Watch: Fossil- Fossil Outlet $30

Shoes: Maripe- Famous Footwear $25

New Faces.

Well, more like one new face... 

                      

                       ...Meet Ryann.

Born and raised in Southern California, Ryann is your laid back, beach living, California boy. His style definitely reflects his easygoing personality and  relaxed lifestyle.   When Ryann offered to let me go through his closet and do my thing (aka purge and put together clothes), I was pretty excited to switch up my practice and try my hand at outfitting a man's wardrobe. In all honesty, Ryann didn't have much to purge or a mountain of clothes compared to many of the wardrobes I've seen. However, we definitely had a fun working with what was in front of us. Ryann was a total doll to work with. He was willing to try pieces he had never worn or combinations he was not completely sold on. 

Here are some of the looks I ended up putting together from Ryann's closet...

My claim to this ensemble... I DID actually vote for this old school
Brooklyn Dodgers baseball hat when shopping with Ryann one afternoon.

Favorite watch is always a must.

Grey button down with dark denim. Always a great choice. Very casual, but put together. With a cap you're ready for a night at the ballpark. Go without, and you're ready for any kind of night. Just no black-tie events, or weddings, or anything of that
caliber ... that's just a whole different story all together.

Love these colors together! Ryann was not a fan of either of the tee shirts, but like I said, he was fantastic and wore them like a champ! Even let me take these photos ;)

Upping the spiffy just a tad ;)

The watch!

Nice grey denim & lavender button down.
Awesome.

Great look for this guy.

Best look... being yourself and enjoying life.

Like I said, I had a great time working with Ryann. Came up with some fun ensembles from his closet that I feel totally fit with his lifestyle and personality. Hoping that I can do a follow up with him in the future and try my hand at a professional look which still totally encompasses who he is at heart. Would be fun challenge to take the beach boy to an interview ready or CEO status look... just for fun ;)