Striped

Top: Kaitlyn 

Shorts: BCBGeneration

Sweater: Nordstrom

Bag: H&M

Watch: Marc by Marc Jacobs

Bracelets: Gifted

Rings: H&M, Henri Bendel

Shoes: Sam Edelman 

Just another day in Santa Barbara...I love my weekends here. Days off with the boy are spent walking down State Street exploring the shops, trying the amazing food and checking out the local bars. It's definitely needed after a long week at work. 

Santa Barbara's weather is so unpredictable, I never know what to pack. This day was absolutely gorgeous, so I was so excited to break out my new shorts from BCBGeneration. I fell in love with the lace detail at the bottom and of course the pockets! I also loved them because these are easy to go from day or night and dress up or down. I decided to pair it with this striped button down I found at Kaitlyn.

Santa Barbara involves a lot of walking. I have definitely altered my shoe choices when up here. So the boy surprised me with these Sam Edelman sandals. The wedge height is perfect for all the walking we do and I am absolutely in love with the ankle strap. The silver strap at the toe make these easy to dress up as well. I seriously have been living in these ever since. 

Haiku for a Pair of Shoes!

 Chinese Laundry is hosting a giveaway! All you have to do is write a haiku about your favorite pair of Chinese Laundry shoes for a chance to win them! Any pair will do! Enter on Chinese Laundry's Facebook Page under the above picture.

A haiku is a Japanese poem that consists of three phrases in syllables of 5, 7, 5. (There is an example above on my favorite pair) Whoever gets the most "likes" wins. (Invite your friends to "like" Chinese Laundry's page and your post for a better chance to win). The winner will be announced on Friday at 12pm. Contest only open to U.S. residents. Enter here: http://on.fb.me/MIllFg Good luck!

P.S. Sorry I have been absent. I am overwhelmed with boxes and my new move and getting all the necessities (including Internet) but please stay tuned for new posts this weekend!

xoxo

We Bought a Zoo!

Some of the animals we got to see

I got to feed a giraffe!

Tank: Cotton On

Skirt: BCBGeneration

Belt: Forever21

Bag: H&M

Shoes: "Beka" by Dirty Laundry

After watching Matt Damon's, "We Bought a Zoo," (which is an amazingly cute movie) I had to go visit a zoo ASAP. So the very next day, the boy and I found ourselves at the Santa Barbara Zoo. I mean when is the last time you went to a zoo?!?

The Santa Barbara Zoo was unlike any other zoo I have been to. It wasn't so big that it was overwhelming and even overlooked the ocean. It was gorgeous! Not to mention the fact that I got to feed a giraffe! If you ever get the chance to, do it! It was only $6 so, I obviously jumped at the chance!

It was a nice sunny day in Santa Barbara so I chose to wear my favorite skirt from BCBGeneration. The picture is hard to see but there is a sheer lace overlay over some black lycra shorts. It's one of those skirts that's easy to dress up or down. I decided to wear my most comfortable pair of sandals from Dirty Laundry (Chinese Laundry's sister line). They are made out of lycra and spandex so they basically feel like a bathing suit is on your feet. If I was a total flats person I would wear these all day everyday. They come in every color, so I am definitely thinking about purchasing some more (p.s. they are only $50)  I even bought a pair for my friend that's on her European vacation right now and I know her feet can't thank me more!

Stay tuned for more!

xxo

And They Lived Happily Ever After...

Shauna & Benjamin 6.8.12

My place card! 

Oak Canyon Nature Center

Portobello & fried chicken slider with sweet potato fries compliments of gourmet food truck, The Tasting Spoon.

Ben

Finally a sister!

Had to get a shot of her dress, it was absolutely perfect

Dress: Alythea

Shoes: Naughty Monkey

Yes, I have been absent. I admit I am not that great at balancing things but definitely will continue to try!  I am in the midst of moving so things have been a little hectic but I'm back now and that's all that matters right?

On to happier things...last weekend was my stepbrother's wedding! It was absolutely amazing and the wedding was pure perfection. It took place at this gorgeous nature center in Anaheim Hills, California. You know how some weddings are a little stuffy and don't feel like the couple at all? Well this was nothing like that! Ben & Shauna's wedding was all about their favorite things including nature (they are quite the adventuresome couple), food trucks, drinks (beer & homemade lemoncello for everyone to take home), photos (they had a photobooth with props) and Harry Potter! (hence the Azkaban place card) They even made their grand entrance dressed like Harry & Ginny. It truly was the best wedding I have gone to in a while!

I have to admit that I had trouble finding the perfect dress for the occasion. Day time weddings are tough, especially if they are outside. Its important to look at the fabric, you don't want it to be to stiff, also it is important to see if it can be worn everyday. I found this Alythea dress at a boutique in Santa Barbara and the second I saw it I knew it would be the one. And by chance one of the wedding colors was mustard, so the family pictures will turn out great :) I know I will definitely wear this dress again whether it be with boots or throwing a leather jacket over it. I am sure you will be seeing it in future posts.

So let me tell you exactly how high for heels I am. I was told numerous times to wear flats, sandals or a low wedge because of the rocky terrain. Now, I never listen to these details when it comes to shoes. I usually have no trouble walking in any environment. Plus, the boy bought me these amazing Naughty Monkey mustard wedges that happened to match my dress perfectly and wasting a pair of shoes is never an option for me! Let me tell you, I did have trouble walking with the loose pebbles and small hills and may had an escort walking the whole night. But hey, I loved my outfit and have had my eye on those shoes for a while. We do weird things for fashion, that sometimes really just don't make sense.

Well I promise I really do have more to share and am getting back into the blogging schedule! I still plan on doing a giveaway once I reach 100 followers so keep them coming! I always follow in return!
xxo

Skull Candy

 Top: Poetry

Shorts: BCBGeneration

Shoes: More for Me from Chinese Laundry

Rings: Forever/Henri Bendel

Sunnies: Ray Ban

Finally...some shorts weather! Let me tell you I have a drawer full of shorts and skirts that are tired of being neglected! So I decided to break out my favorite maroon denim cutoffs from BCBGeneration with this sheer blouse by Poetry. I seriously have been looking forever for a cute skull print blouse that won't break the bank (I am doing my best to bargain shop these days) and was so relieved when I found this one for only $25! Steal!

I paired my outfit with these booties from Chinese Laundry. I fell in love with them as soon as I saw the sample! I love the thick stitching detail and the rich cognac color! They seriously look good with everything!

Just a quick post today! Stay tuned for more!

Keep on following so I can start a fab giveaway! (And I'll be sure to follow back)

xoxo

Spring Shoe Spectacular

Spring Shoe Spectacular in Albuquerque, New Mexico

This was one of the biggest shoe floors I have ever seen! This was only half of it!

Chinese Laundry Selection

My travel essentials: Gossip magazine (the airport is the perfect excuse/place to read these things), fashion magazines, scarf (doubles as a pillow), notebook for inspiration, ipod, gum, chapstick, MAC lipgloss, Daisy by Marc Jacobs travel size solid perfume.

Arm candy: Marc by Marc Jacobs watch, Pretzel bracelet from BCBGeneration (did you know pretzels our a sign of devotion? My friend has the other half)

Finger candy: Rings from BCBGeneration & Vince Camuto

Easy shoes to slip on and off: Chinese Laundry Big Bang

I swear I didn't mean to disappear! Last week I caught the flu and was swamped at work so I didn't get the chance to blog at all :( I am trying to catch up and going on a blogging schedule to keep me on track!

Anyways I got to go on my first business day trip on Saturday to Albuquerque, New Mexico. You see I wear many hats at Chinese Laundry. I work in the Marketing department which already covers so many different facets. One day I can just be doing all our social media, another day I will be maintaing the website, and another day I will help cast models for a fashion show. The jobs truly do vary and I find myself doing something new each week. So, this past Saturday I got to be a sales rep for the day.

Dillards is a relatively new account for Chinese Laundry so we are definitely trying to build our relationship with them. So when they invited us to their 2nd annual Spring Shoe Spectacular we knew we had to be there. Our sales rep had got the dates mixed up and the other half of our team were attending a celebrity baby shower we were hosting (cough Kristin Cavallari cough) so they asked me if I would like to go in his place. Of course I jumped at the opportunity!  Yes it was on a Saturday but who can say no to a free trip and a new experience.

I flew out of LAX at 7am Saturday so I had to be up at 4am (not my ideal Saturday wake up time) and got into New Mexico around 10am. I was surprised how big the shoe floor was! We don't have many Dillards around us so it definitely caught me off guard. I was there to help pump up our brand to the employees and customers. We have a smaller selection at Dillard's so it was definitely important to let the customers know who we are and what we are all about. I got a lot of positive feedback and a lot of compliments on my shoes :) I got a chance to meet the other vendors and talk about their business as well. This trip definitely wanted to me look further into a sales rep position!

As you can see, I did not post a full body outfit shot. It was a long 13 hour day for me and personally was so exhausted after everything that you wouldn't want to see what I looked like! My outfit was really simple, I wanted to be comfortable for my flight, yet still look cute and professional. I opted for a boyfriend sheer teal button down with a pair of liquid leggings (worn in a previous post) with my favorite pair of platform sandals, the Big Bang from no one other than Chinese Laundry!

The day went by so fast and was so tiresome but in the end it was an amazing experience and I learned

a lot :)

I promise not to disappear again! I have a lot more posts to share with you!

Stay tuned!

xoxo

The Great Escape

View from the Endless Summer Bar & Grill

The most delicious potato skins
(Why does food look so much better once you take a picture?)

Santa Barbara Harbor

Dress: Boutique

Denim vest: BCBGeneration

Boots: Steve Madden

Sunnies: Ray Ban

Heart Necklace: Forever 21

Bag: H&M

Rings: Forever 21/Vince Camuto

So I don't know if you have caught on yet but I spend every weekend in Santa Barbara (The boy... his name is Jacob moved there for work). I call it my escape. Santa Barbara is beautiful, I absolutely love it. It's relaxing, the food is amazing and the scenery is breathtaking. Not to mention he lives 2 minutes from downtown and about 10 minutes (depending on how fast I walk) to the beach. What's not to love? It's nice to get out of LA/OC... it's such a change of pace.

This past Sunday, the weather was warm enough to wear a dress. The weather varies so much (and I definitely do not trust those weather reporters), I seriously have to pack outfit options for every possible situation. Since Jacob is new to the area as well, we tend to explore new areas of Santa Barbara each weekend. This past weekend was the Harbor.

I decided to wear this crochet strapless dress that I found at this random boutique I discovered by my house  (you can say it's like a forever 21 but they have brands that are usually carried in boutiques for A LOT less) and layered it with my all time favorite denim vest from BCBGeneration. I should have got a closer shot but it also has these silver studs on it...so cute. We did a lot of walking this day so I opted for these cognac boots from Steve Madden. I seriously got these over 2 years ago and they are outlasting all of my other pairs. I did have to get them resoled, but was definitely worth it since these are one of my go-to's. I have wanted this handbag ever since I saw it at H&M, I wear my Marc Jacobs and my Tory bags to death, so once I see a cute everyday bag, I need it, not to mention it was a bargain.

Off I go to Santa Barbara today...a shorter visit this time but still a great escape.

I plan on blogging a lot more...more like 5 days a week. So stay tuned!

xoxo