New Kicks to Put a Spring in Your Step

Even though the focus of this post is going to be shoes, in particular my lovely new seersucker shoes, I wanted to spend a moment to give a shout out to Snoopy! One of the things that I'm not sure if I've shared on the blog or not is my love for all things Snoopy. So imagine my surprise and delight when I wandered into a Uniqlo store only to find a most adorable collection of Snoopy tees, including this one of Snoopy playing tennis! I too play tennis, so this tee is a win-win in my book! Since this post is about things that put a spring in your step, I couldn't help but mention Snoopy since happiness is, after all, a warm puppy...but it's also a pair of new shoes for spring!

So now on to the shoes! I'm not going to lie: I have been buying a lot of shoes lately! In fact, my husband pointed this out last weekend. It all started when I was a bit upset about missing out on these stunning Ferragamo floral shoes during ShopBop's latest "Buy More Save More" Sale. My husband inquired whether or not I really needed yet another pair of shoes to which I, of course, answered with a resounding "yes!". If you're a woman, you can never have too many shoes! Also, when the shoes for spring are this cute, who can resist? Below you will see some of my favorite pairs, many of which are already in my closet!

The small heel on these seersucker shoes makes them super comfy, but I am also a big fan of flats. Flats are always comfortable and can easily be dressed up or down, so they are definitely a staple for my spring wardrobe! Below are some of my favorite flat sandals and shoes for the spring season! As you can see, the theme with all of the shoes that I've selected for this post is color...the brighter the better!

Tee: Uniqlo here
Jeans: J. Crew here
Shoes: J. Crew slingback bow pumps here
Bag: Mansur Gavriel here
Earrings: BaubleBar similar sugar fix version here

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Cherries, Berries, Wisteria and Wine

A couple weeks ago, my husband and I took a short trip to visit the wineries of Temecula, California. Temecula is less than two hours outside of Los Angeles, so it's a convenient getaway for those who want to do a little wine tasting without traveling too far. While the wines in the region are generally not on par with those of Paso Robles or Napa, it's still a fun excursion. Even though I might be a little picky about wine, to be honest, I have never met a wine that I didn't like...well there have been some, but not too many!

For this sojourn to Temecula, I decided to don an outfit that was inspired by a look I spied on Seersucker Optional's Instagram account. It's always fun to follow people who basically have the same pieces in their wardrobe as you do because often they'll come up with a combination that you think is genius. When that happens, the good news is that you already have the pieces in your wardrobe so you don't have to do any shopping! In this inspired look I'm arrayed in some major fruit pattern mixing with a cherry print button-down shirt and a berry skirt. Also, because it was a little windy, this straw hat was the perfect way to top off the outfit!

Last of all, how beautiful is this wisteria? We found it at a lovely winery and hotel in Temecula and it turned out to be the perfect backdrop for my cherry and berry ensemble! Since purple is my favorite color, wisteria is one of my favorite flowers! Luckily, wisteria seems to be blooming everywhere this time of year in the Los Angeles area, but this one cascading down the side of the building might be the most beautiful example of the flower that I've seen in a long time.

Shirt: Forever 21 similar here
Skirt: J .Crew
Shoes: Target here
Bag: Gucci here
Hat: Off Fifth here
Sunglasses: Celine

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An Original?

When my husband first saw this "original" tee from Target, he questioned, obviously sarcastically, "I wonder how many of those they made?" Yes, clearly I get the irony of something that is mass produced by the thousands, sold at a ubiquitous store like Target, with the claim of being "original" emblazoned on it. It didn't stop me, however, from buying the tee and enjoying wearing it! Plus, I am wearing it with some pretty cool, not to mention original, rainbow striped pants, so it kind of amps up the uniqueness factor, if you know what I mean!

Come to think of it, however, the thing about the striped pants is that they are actually not very original either! I saw someone feature them on Instagram, so I tracked down the details on LIKEtoKNOW.IT and immediately bought them! I will have to say that the thing that first drew me to the pants is that they looked more expensive than they actually turned out to be. Truth be told, these are under $20, so it was hard not to make the decision to be an unoriginal copy cat and buy them. Also, just like the tee, I am sure that thousands of these pants were made but, at the same time, they're not exactly something that you'll see everyone walking down the street wearing, which makes them unique in my book!

Shirt: Target/ A New Day here
Pants: Forever 21 here
Shoes: J. Crew almost identical silver pumps here
Bag: Louis Vuitton
Sunglasses: Alice and Olivia here

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Rainbow and Chambray

If there's one thing that I love, it's rainbow sweaters. Most recently, I was at the Barney's outlet store and I found a cashmere rainbow sweater that I absolutely fell in love with! Although I was tempted to buy it, I knew that I already had a ton of rainbow sweaters waiting for me at home in my closet. Now the one thing that I didn't have was a rainbow short sleeve sweater, which is why it made it perfectly acceptable to purchase this version from the J. Crew Factory. Also, this sweater was under $30, whereas the one at Barney's was in the $200 range.

I decided to pair my new rainbow sweater for summer with some chambray pants from Old Navy. These are actually one of my favorite pairs for spring/summer, as they are light-weight. Additionally, they are a little bit more dressy than regular jeans, which makes them a nice option for work. Lastly, I topped off the outfit with my beloved taxi flats from Kate Spade for a little color and whimsy in the shoe department. Rainbows, chambray and quirky shoes? Definitely a winning combo in my book!

Sweater: J. Crew Factory here
Pants: Old Navy here
Shoes: Kate Spade Taxi flats here
Bag: J. Crew similar lavender bag
Sunglasses: Celine

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Flower Heaven at The Flower Fields

There are no words to describe the beauty of The Flower Fields in Carlsbad! It's definitely like you've died and gone to heaven...flower heaven! If you're in the San Diego area, I would highly recommend visiting this scenic destination, as it's perfect for anyone who loves flowers or just bold swaths of color, such as myself. Although my husband wasn't thrilled about paying the $16 entrance fee to get in (he said one could see most of it for free from the road, parking lot, or from the nearby outlet mall!) I think maybe he secretly enjoyed it too!

As I mentioned above, if you're interested in visiting The Flower Fields, you will have to pay an entrance fee and possibly deal with crowds, which I was not expecting. The crowds were particularly surprising given the fact that we visited on a Tuesday. I would hate to see this place on a weekend, as it's probably just swarming with people! Another heads up is that it's quite windy as the fields are near the ocean. Next time around I would bring a hat, although the hat would have probably just blown off of my head!

Another tip I have regarding visiting The Flower Fields is that you should check to make sure the fields are at their peak before making the trek there. A few weeks ago we had some pretty heavy rains in California that I think contributed to the vibrancy of the current crop of flowers in the fields. In fact, last week was apparently the peak time to visit to see the flowers in their prime. Luckily, this coincided with my spring break, so it all worked out just perfectly! If you are interested in visiting the Flower Fields you also might want to follow them on Instagram to get updates on how the crop is doing and when peak bloom times are.

Last of all, I must talk about my outfit. (This is a fashion blog after all!) My floral blouse, which I picked up at a deeply discounted price during Zara's winter sale a few months ago, almost looks like it could be a photo or maybe a painting of the flowers in these fields. In fact, I like to call it "flower camo" because of how seamlessly it blends in with my surroundings! As you know, I like to dress for the occasion and I feel like this shirt was the perfect thing to wear to the most perfect of places!

Shirt: Zara similar here
Pants: Old Navy "Rockstar" here
Shoes: Target/A New Day here cute flower shoes here
Bag: Zara similar straw circle bag
Sunglasses: Celine

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