foodie friday: overland cafe

Normally I wait until I've visited a place a couple times (or try half the things on the menu, which could easily happen in one sitting) to share it here, but I'm still on my champagne high from yesterday.  The beau and I visited Overland Cafe last weekend, and I already know it will be one of my go-to spots for weekend brunch.  Not only is the food creatively crafted and delectable, but Overland Cafe also offers bottomless mimosas in a different format than other local eateries.

Overland Cafe's unlimited champagne brunch is about $5 per person if you purchase an entree.  Basically, you're buying a carafe of homemade orange juice and your server brings bottles of champagne for two hours.  Needless to say, the beau and I consumed quite a bit of bubbly on our visit.

The only downside to this place is it gets pretty busy so we waited on our food for about 45 minutes.  Luckily, my dish was very much worth the wait.

Not To Be Missed
Food: breakfast sandwich, crab cake eggs Benedict
Drinks: unlimited champagne, of course 

Happy Friday!
xo

champagne thursday

It may not be the weekend yet, but I've got booze on the mind.  And not just any booze...champagne.  Veuve Clicquot champagne to be exact.  Next weekend is the Veuve Clicquot Polo Classic, an annual event complete with polo, flowing champagne, and incredible fashion.  And this year I have the honor of attending! I couldn't be more excited, although the infamous question of "what do I wear?" hasn't left my brain since.

photo via

All I can say on this topic is: thank God for Rent the Runway.  That might have to be a thing. Here are some looks I'm swooning over and inspiring me for my outfit.

Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to peruse the web for flower crowns, big hats, and sophisticated dresses. Have a great Thursday, everyone!

xo

Photos by Jamie Beck and Kevin Burg

comfy casual

[stylemint t-shirt {similar here}, bdg jeans, sam edelman flats {score from nordstrom rack}, necklace- gift from Jasmine, michael kors watch, david yurman bracelet, rings- madewell/family heirloom, polo ralph lauren glasses, essie nails, kate spade iphone case]

It's been a fast and furious couple weeks, my friends.  We've had two events in the last two weeks, and we have a few more big ones still on the horizon.  Lately it's been work, watching an embarrassing amount of Pretty Little Liars, and squeezing in time with the beau and friends whenever possible.

So as you can assume, my uniform lately has been a whoooole lot of this. Comfy + casual.  Not just on the weekend, either.  We're talking pretty much every day of the week. And honestly I'm fine with it.  Although some recent fall purchases are screaming at my from my closet right now. Those pretty duds are just begging to be worn.  So, is it fall yet? Oh, wait.
xo

a little bit

My apologies for the radio silence, everyone! It's been a very busy couple weeks at work and I've been in work mode basically day and night.  Here are some lovely little inspirations for you while I'm away...

image via pinterest

Style notes for this show I'm addicted to.

The blog I turn to when I need a solid reminder of what life is truly about.

I'm drooling over this wedding in La Jolla.

Don't we all have just a little crush?

I vote yes to leather pants and plaid shirts for fall.

Lunch meeting etiquette.

I love this idea for new parents.

Wear your heart on your sleeve--or your chest.

A salad has never looked this good before.

A great quote to live by.

Running fast and furious, but I'll be back with some inspiration of my own soon!
xo

addicted to yoga

The first time I took a yoga class was in high school.  My dance coach wanted us to increase our strength and flexibility, so she encouraged us to take yoga.  She taught one class, and it was the only one I ever took because I felt like it wasn't going to do anything.  It wasn't until I moved to L.A. and took a yoga class with a great instructor who taught me how to do yoga correctly that I really learned to appreciate the art of it.

image via pinterest

Yoga is all about strength and stability.  Here's my problem: I was a dancer most of my life, so my feet and hips naturally turn out.  I had to learn to force my body to remain parallel in all positions.  Since I was a dancer you'd think my balance would be wonderful, but you'd be wrong.  So "finding my center" and trying to stay balanced in certain poses is another component I had to work on when I first began practicing.  Over time as I've gotten better, I've gotten stronger and developed some arm strength for literally the first time in my life.  I also find the practice of yoga to be incredibly calming--I can walk into a class feeling stressed out, and walk out feeling recharged and powerful.  

My friend Lauren, who takes most of my outfit photos for me, recently became a certified yoga instructor so I'm also constantly learning new things from her.  Here are some places around town I love for a yoga fix.

Omkar 108 Ashtanga Yoga- this is my favorite place. You must take a class with Gary; he always takes the time in his classes to ensure every single person is practicing correctly.  Anytime I'm struggling with a pose, he comes to work with me one-on-one until I feel comfortable with it.  He's also a veteran and such an interesting person to talk to.

Equinox-although it's crowded, all the instructors here understand the practice incredibly well. I had a three-month membership there last year so I was going pretty much every day. I learned most of the basics here.

Your Neighborhood Studio- I used to take a class here called Yoga Booty Ballet, which I'll get into another time.  I took a couple early morning yoga classes here as well and loved them. The classes are small and the instructors are very calming and spend a lot of time stretching at the end of the class.

Santa Monica Power Yoga- this is a donation-based class, so it is packed. This place is definitely for the more advanced, but if you're looking for a challenge this is a great place.  The classes I've taken are power yoga, so all movements are very fluid as opposed to holding poses for a long period of time.  Personally, I prefer the morning classes to the evening ones.

Laughing Frog Yoga- another place for smaller classes.  I really loved the space and the way the instructor moved through the poses, although the music selection wasn't my favorite (the instructor I took played popular music which I found odd and it threw my concentration off).  This is a good place for some more concentrated ab work.

If you missed my first health story, check out my SoulCycle feature here.

Have a healthy week, everyone!

xo

date night

[bebe dress, target heels and jacket, asos clutch {similar here}, gifted kendra scott necklace {similar here}, michael kors watch, david yurman bracelet, ring- boutique in la jolla, ca, polo ralph lauren glasses]

When I was in high school, I was often asked if I was a model.  Literally the only reason this ever happened is because I was rail thin and incredibly flat-chested, so I never really took it as a compliment. Once I grew up a bit and gained some weight, my body fluctuated a little here and there. It was a bit of an awkward transition, but overall I'm pretty happy with what I've got goin' on for the time being.  But I'll clear the air and say people don't really ask me that question anymore.  The reason I'm sharing this tidbit is because I realized it's a good thing I never decided to make modeling a life goal as apparently I contort my face the second a camera appears. Exhibit A: photo 1.

Also, note to self to grab some sunglasses when taking photos before the sun sets. I guess we really do learn something new every day.

It's been a crazy/hectic/stressful couple weeks, so I was incredibly grateful to snag some time with the beau last weekend for a date.  A real date where we got gussied up and drove across town.  We ventured to A.O.C. for some wine and then turned right back around for home, where we sipped wine of our own and grilled steaks.  A pretty perfect night in my book.
I hope everyone is having a great week!
xo

in rememberance

Just a quick note to say thank you to all our U.S. troops, past and present.  I'm keeping all Americans and the loved ones we've lost in my prayers tonight.

image via

foodie friday: gelfond chocolate

Those who know me personally know I have a love affair with chocolate.  One of my co-workers told me about a local chocolate shop on Robertson Blvd. called Generations of Lee Gelfond Chocolate, and in the spirit of Fashion Week, it seems like the perfect time to share it with you.

The mother/daughters owned chocolate shop crafts hand-made chocolate for parties, weddings, and other special events.  Gelfond specializes in creating chocolate molds in various shapes, including shoes and handbags.  As impressive as that is already, the shop kicks it up a notch and focuses on specific designers like Christian Louboutin, Chanel, and Yves Saint Laurent.  Some of their confections have even been featured on the Food Network.

images via

I mean, if someone wants to send me some shoe chocolates, I probably wouldn't be upset. It'd be the perfect Friday treat, yeah?
Happy Friday, everyone!
xx

habitual

We all know cheap jeans can have their perks, mostly because well, they're cheap.  We're all guilty of purchasing a pair because they're cute and inexpensive, but when it comes down to it--the fit is rarely great.  I don't think I ever really appreciated quality denim until this year, whenever I found the perfect pair of skinny jeans that fit me absolutely perfect, and looked just as good as they made me feel.

Enter Habitual: a denim brand made locally here in Los Angeles.  Founded in 2001, Habitual boasts quality product with an immaculate fit and intricate detailing.  The brand was the first to create color coated wax denim, which many other popular brands like J Brand and Paige currently produce as well. Coated denim creates the illusion of leather; it looks very similar, but feels the same as regular denim on the inside.  To me this was a major selling point as I love the look of leather pants, but have no desire to wrap my legs in such a restrictive fabric.  I had the opportunity to preview Habitual's Fall and Spring collections last week, and am now dying to take all the various colors for a test spin!

I left the preview with a pair of black coated denim jeans, and I already know they will be a Fall staple.  I may or may not have already dreamed up various ensembles revolving around my new pants.  Now if only this never-ending heat wave would drop off, I might actually be able to wear them instead of just thinking about them.  

If you're coveting a pair of jeans for yourself in the upcoming season, check out Habitual's lookbooks here.  I already have my eye on a pair of their high-waisted beauties as well. 

Happy Thursday, everyone!

xx

nyfw inspiration

I, along with every other girl in the world, have already proclaimed my love for New York Fashion Week.  Even before my concrete interests in fashion really took off, I always had a desire to visit New York during this special time and watch a show (or two, or three, or four).  I realize this fantasy is still well out of reach, but a girl can dream, right? Here are some looks I'd happily sport to any show this season.

image via atlantic-pacific

image via la in the bay

image via sterling style

image via sterling style

image via atlantic-pacific

image via a little white mouse

image via pinterest

The majority of these looks are simple and classic, with a little bit of an edge.  I notice myself always gravitating toward those particular styles.  But I absolutely love the unexpected pairing of Blair's outfit, and Bianca's pants? They're so incredibly chic and cool--just like she is!
Stay chic this week!
xx

green with envy

[target tank, zara jacket and jeans, toms wedges, louis vuitton bag, michael kors watch, david yurman bracelet, rings: madwell/family heirloom, ray-ban aviators]

I accidentally walked into Zara a couple weeks ago, and instantly fell in love with this military-inspired parka.  I've been wanting something similar since last fall (do you remember the one that got away?), so when I spotted this I decided I was not going to make the same mistake twice.  Apparently 24 is my wisest year so far.

This jacket will be perfect for fall because I can throw it over just about anything.  I'm really loving wearing it over stripes and anything that's ultra-feminine for some contrast.  Now if this weather could cool down just a little bit more, we'd be in business.

I hope everyone is having a wonderful day so far.  Short weeks are the best, am I right? Or incredibly stressful, but that might just be for me. Is anyone else thinking ahead to the weekend already? No? Just me? Alright, well I'll be here when everyone else jumps on that train. Happy Wednesday!
xx

the most wonderful time of the year

September is here, and while the month completely snuck up on me, I couldn't be more thrilled. The first week in September means two of my favorite things: college football has begun (Go Sooners!) and New York Fashion Week is in full swing.  And while I would give just about anything to be either sitting in Oklahoma's stadium or in the audience of any runway show, I'm also perfectly fine sitting back and enjoying everything while I can.

a shot from bcbg's show last year/image via

So in honor of NYFW, I'll be focused completely on fashion this week.  I'm especially excited to share a denim collection I previewed last week.  Here's to a week of chic!
xx