snapshots

 Jessica Simpson wedges--my favorite for Spring!

My family posing with our newest addition, a sea doo, at Grand Lake in Oklahoma. My brother Garret really thinks he's something here with this flexing pose...

Lobster bisque and bread--filling and delicious!

 My newest purchase--an authentic Rebecca Minkoff bag, scored on sale. My mom would be so proud!

 Enjoying a rowing regatta with the beau.

Pepperoni pizza, cheese ravioli with walnut Gorgonzola sauce and prosciutto, and Chianti from Mamma Mia's in Pacific Beach. One word: amazing.

 Enjoying a little sun at the regatta.

 My favorite pup rolling in the grass and chewing his ball. Such a little multi-tasker.
Photo shoot fun with my friend Lauren, who photographs most of my outfit posts for me.

This weekend was a pretty crazy one. My boyfriend is a rowing coach and his kiddos participated in the San Diego Crew Classic this past weekend.  This was the first regatta I'd ever been to, and I was so excited to finally see my man in his element.  The only downside is we didn't get too much downtime, and my fair skin is fried from the sun, despite wearing sunscreen and a mineral powder with spf.  But of course we managed to squeeze in some delicious food, wine, and the aforementioned movie to celebrate my mom's birthday.

I'll be sharing a new outfit tomorrow, and a recipe I've been dying to recreate on my own. I'm making it a personal goal to break out of this cooking lull--I keep reverting to old favorites instead of trying new things. No more friends! Here's to a week of productivity and adventure.
xx

happy birthday, momma!

Today is a bit of a rough day, friends. My mom would have been 52 today.  I won't lie and say I'm in the brightest of spirits, but rather than playing debbie downer all day I want to take this time to remember all of the happy memories we had together. 

Today, like many days, I want to honor my lovely mom in everything I do. Here's a few ways I'm choosing to celebrate her on this special day:

1. Dress up. When I was in college and walked around looking borderline homeless, she would always get on to me about my lack of fashion sense during trips home. ("You're going out like that?") So today I wore a pretty new green dress with heels that she bought me for college graduation. I'm confident to say she'd approve.
2. Catch up with friends. I had a nice, long phone call with my best friend this week as its been a while since we'd caught up.  My mom would spend hours on the phone with her friends--a trait I was more than happy to pick up.
3. Cook hearty meals and drink wine. This is something we always did together, and I enjoy continuing the tradition with some of my favorite people.
4. Give. This morning I dropped off three large bags of clothes, stuffed animals, and pretty trinkets at Goodwill. My mom was such a giving person and always gave what she didn't need to others.
5. Laugh. Although it's been a tough day, I've received so many kind messages from friends. I especially loved the ones that made me laugh and brought up happy memories.  My mom was always laughing, often times even cracking herself up.

Tonight the beau and I are going out for mexican food (her favorite) and watching one of her favorite movies.  A perfect end to a special lady's birthday. I hope everyone has a wonderful weekend.  If you get a minute, raise your glass to my mom--she'd love that.
xx

spring cravings

It's been almost a week now since Spring officially "sprung", but Southern California weather remains frustratingly inconsistent.  I promise I'll stop whining about it soon, but until then here are some things I'm coveting (besides more sunlight, but that's a given).

Clockwise from top:
Aldo mint platform pumps
Rebecca Minkoff blue blazer (I absolutely love this one too)
Alice and Olivia maxi skirt
Dolce Vita embellished sandals
Baggu leather oversized clutch
Tolani cashmere scarf
DKNY colorblock blouse
J Brand skinny jeans in pale yellow

Clearly I'm still dreaming about pastels, but I'm also lusting after bright hues and bolder prints. Oh, if only I had an unlimited budget...maybe one day, friends.
Happy Spring shopping!
xx

fresh start

My roomates and I are currently looking for a new place as our lease is up in June.  I basically despise the process of looking for a place and physically moving, so I'm trying to find a new perspective and look forward to all the great things to come.  Specifically, I'm excited to get a fresh start on my room decor.  As much as I love my room now (especially my massive closet--I will be so sad to leave that behind), I often feel it has the same feeling as my room when I was in college.  Cozy, but also very unsophisticated with no real aesthetic.  Here are some images giving me inspiration for the new look I'm craving.

image via could i have that

Saying I'm obsessed with this eclectic mix of framed photos is an understatement. A version of this will be in my bedroom this summer. I have so many wonderful photos, pieces of art and memorabilia and have never seemed to be able to find a way to put it all together.  Some beautiful randomness seems perfect for my space. Let's just hope the new place has a decently large wall!

image via sacramento street

image via lonny magazine

image via apartment 34

image via design sponge

image via sacramento street

image via sacramento street

image via could i have that

image via lonny mag

What's important to me is achieving a certain level of sophistication in my new space, while still holding on to my personal style and keeping my memories visible.  All of these lovely images (and more) are causing my decor wheels to turn. I can't wait to get started!

I hope everyone is having a great day!
xx

dressed up

[stylemint t-shirt, gibson blazer from nordstrom, michael kors pants {purchased from marshalls}, heels from target, alumni sunglasses- gift, Janie Bryant MOD bag- gift, borrowed anthropologie necklace, bracelets: lia sophia c/o + david yurman, michael kors watch, moon rock ring from a boutique in crested butte, opi nails]

My overall style is pretty casual, and I love taking casual elements like this t-shirt from stylemint, and dressing them up.  This look is professional enough for a meeting, but when it comes down to it--I'm wearing a t-shirt. It doesn't get much better than that! I wanted to keep it fun by mixing prints again--not something I'm used to but having a lot of fun with it. Breaking out of your comfort zone and trying new things is what it's all about!

These photos are from a couple weeks ago, when the sun was still in our lives.  I'm crossing my fingers for the sun to come out today!
xx

trending

Today, in between lulls at work, I've been sporadically perusing the web for spring inspiration. Mostly, I've stumbled upon many pretty things I can't wait to fill my closet with (animal-adorned shirts, anyone?).  I may or may not have purchased a pretty spring dress during said perusing that I originally spotted here.  But amongst all the lovely trends popping up this Spring, there is one I just can't seem to get on board with.

I've seen some of my favorite bloggers in floral jeans and I have to say I think they are just so incredibly unflattering.  It makes sense that florals would be blooming in Spring (I couldn't resist), but I'd much rather run around town in a floral shirt or dress.  Granted I'm no expert here, and everyone else seems to be embracing it, but they seem so unwearable to me.

A trend I wish I could rock?  Pastels.  I've seen many head-to-toe pastel looks and I think they are simply lovely.  Unfortunately these colors tend to wash out my fair skin tone, so unfortunately I will be sticking to only hints of pastel this season.

image via fash boulevard

How adorable does Anna look in this pastel outfit? What trends do you love and loathe for Spring?
xx

two things

photo by molly cranna via refinery 29

Refinery 29 ran a feature yesterday showcasing two of my favorite things: puppies and fashion. My stylish friend Jasmine and her adorable, sweet dog Milo were featured.  How much does this image make you want to grab your pup and play outside in light, flowy clothing?  Which, in case you were wondering, Jasmine and I do with Milo and Rocky quite often.

I hope everyone is enjoying their day! Tomorrow kicks off the weekend--I for one am looking forward to a couple days of celebrating friends' birthdays, organizing my apartment, and chopping off a bit of my hair (don't worry, nothing drastic).  Until then!
xx