Fall Florals

 

I don't know if a week off from blogging counts as a "vacation" but it's been a little while since I have posted on my blog. It's hardly been a vacation, though, as I have been busy with work and also a couple of Instagram collaborations with brands that ended up being way more demanding and time consuming than I could have anticipated! Well, I'm back and I'm making a splash in a gorgeous floral dress that I actually wore for my birthday, which was last month! (I'm really behind with my blog!) I love this floral print maxi dress from Frances Valentine and I'm just going to say, for the sake of keeping up with seasonal fashion, that the print could definitely be considered a fall floral. You could really wear this print for spring, summer and early fall, especially if you live in Southern California.

 

As I mentioned, I wore this dress almost a month ago for my birthday and we celebrated at a quaint French restaurant. The next day we also saw the Louis Vuitton exhibit celebrating the founder's bicentennial with 200 trunks designed by various artists and visionaries. Now that I think about it, it was a very Francophile birthday! I guess I should have worn a Breton shirt and a beret, although, I would hope that a fabulously, fashionable French woman would love wearing this dress to stroll down the streets of Paris, so I suppose it could also fit into the French theme as well!

 

Dress: Frances Valentine here

Shoes: Target similar red sandals here
Bag: Gucci similar purple bag here

Earrings: c/o Zenzii

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Walk on the Wild Side

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While Labor Day is not technically the end of summer, it does symbolically mark the end of the season and the start of fall for many. I always struggle a little bit this time of year with my wardrobe because it is still hot very here in September and sometimes into October (it's been well over 100 degrees every day here this week thanks to a heat wave!), but I want to start wearing more fall fashion. My best tip for making this transition for those of us who live in warm climates is to choose pieces that are still light weight but that have a fall color palette. This tropical Farm Rio skirt from Anthroplogie, which is now on sale, fits this type of transitional dressing in my opinion. It has bright fun colors but the warm tones and shades of brown make it seem appropriate for fall.

 

 The other thing I really love about this skirt, in addition to the colors and its potential to help me transition into fall, is that it has lions hidden in the print! At first I did not see them, but once I discovered them it was essentially what sold me on the skirt! I love anything with animals in the print, so this skirt was a must have for me! Plus, I really love Farm Rio as a brand, as I believe they make fun, colorful, high quality pieces that perfectly suit my style!

 

Skirt: Anthropologie x Farm Rio here

Top: Zara similar ruffle sleeve blouse here

Shoes: H&M similar blue sandals here

Bag: Louis Vuitton

Belt: SheIn here

 

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Party Polka Dots

 

I love a good polka dot print, especially when the polka dots are in rainbow confetti! This pink multi-color polka dot top is definitely like a party in a top! It's also a great deal at under $10, and this top comes in a variety of colors, making it all the more appealing! I dare you to wear this top and not have a smile on your face! As you can see, it pairs with just about anything, due to all of the colors. I decided to go with mint pants, but it really could go with just about any color you'd want!

 

Going with the concept of more is more, I decided to use this colorful mural as the backdrop for this post.

This mural always makes me feel like I've stepped inside of some cartoon or comic book, which I thought would be a perfect concept to go with this colorful look! Color on color on more color is always a winning combination! While I want to start thinking about fall colors (there will be time for that soon enough), right now I'm still enjoying celebrating the colors of summer!

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Top: SheIn here

Pants: J. Crew similar mint pants here

Shoes: similar purple suede shoes here

Bag: Louis Vuitton similar yellow bag here

 

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Back to Basics

 

It's hard to believe it, but summer vacation is officially over for me and so it's back to school! It's also back to basics, as I'm looking for basic pieces that can transition my summer wardrobe into a work wardrobe that's appropriate for teaching. The photos of me in this green and pink floral top are actually from spring, but I'm just getting around to posting them now! The shirt, which is under $10, is still available! In fact, it's available in several different color combinations, including a yellow and purple version that I just purchased! Because it's such an affordable top, having it in multiple colors is a no-brainer! I hope to pair it with some more dressy pants and possibly a blazer once the weather here gets cooler.

 

Unlike this top, one thing that is definitely not a basic that I would not wear everyday are these suede bow sandals! Don't get me wrong—I adore them, but they are actually very high and, for whatever reason, are a bit difficult to walk in. At work, flats are my preferred choice of footwear; however, I love being able to wear fun heels on the weekend or after school when I can.

 

Top: SheIn here

Jeans: J. Crew Factory similar high rise jeans here

Shoes: J. Crew similar bow sandals here

Bag: Mansur Gavriel similar pink bag here

Belt: Brooks Brothers similar light pink belt here

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Crazy, Colorful Pants!

 

During the summer months, I wear a lot of dresses and skirts, but every once in a while I like to switch it up and wear pants, especially if they are crazy, colorful pants! I wore these wide leg colorful pants from Farm Rio x Anthropologie last weekend and, although it was very hot out, the flowy style of the pants actually kept me relatively cool! Due to the myriad of colors featured in the print of the pants, I think these could definitely transition into the fall and winter seasons. I would probably swap out the ruffle tee for a chunky knit sweater once the weather gets cooler, which, around here, probably won't be for a while!

 

You can see how I accessorized my outfit, and I'm back in my orange hat! I featured this hat last week on the blog and it has easily become one of my favorite accessories this summer! Like the pants, I think this hat would be a great transitional piece for the fall season! The orange color is perfect for both summer and fall and it's made from a suede-like material that would also fit in perfectly with my fall and winter wardrobe.

 

Pants: Farm Rio x Anthropologie here

Tee: Target similar cream ruffle tee here

Shoes: Loeffler Randall here

Hat: Anthropologie similar orange hat here and here

Bag: Louis Vuitton

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Yellow and White Dress in Umbrella Alley

 

Summer is, unfortunately, winding down, but I'm trying to make the best of my remaining vacation time! In addition to school starting up again soon, another reminder that summer is almost over are all of the end of summer sales many stores are having, which is good, because there are some great deals out there! Take, for example, this gorgeous yellow and white dress from Ann Taylor that I just got a great deal on a couple weeks ago. Luckily for me, it feels like summer almost all year round here in Southern California, so I can get a little extra wear out of summer pieces like this dress!

 

One of the things on my summer to do list was visiting the city of Redlands where these gorgeous, colorful umbrellas are located. There's just something about these umbrellas that fills me with joy and I can't get enough of them! Redlands is a very charming city with some gorgeous architecture, quaint restaurants, and cute art installations!  While I've been to Umbrella Alley before, it was fun to revisit the location and take a stroll through these delightful umbrellas in my yellow and white dress!

 

Dress: Ann Taylor here and similar yellow and white dress here

Bag: Nordstrom similar pom pom bag here and here

Shoes: c/o Draper James here

Sunglasses: Celine

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Mad Hatter

 

This summer, I have officially become obsessed with hats! I've always had a few hats in my wardrobe but I recently added a couple more to my collection.  One new addition is this orange hat that I got on sale a few weeks ago from Anthropologie. I like that it offers a bright pop of color to any outfit plus some much needed protection from the hot summer sun! (It's both practical and fashionable, which is not something I can say for many things in my wardrobe!) One other thing I really like about this hat is that it's well made, so I know it's something that I will be able to wear for years to come. Below are some other colorful hats that I love for summer!

 

 

Despite buying a couple hats, I'm trying to shop my closet this summer. I cleaned out my closet at the beginning of summer and I realized that I should try to get more use out of the things I already own rather than buying more things. This colorful popover dress from J. Crew has been in my closet for a few years and I love the popover style! In fact, I love it so much that I own this style dress in a few different prints! I thought this print was a perfect match with my orange hat against this fun restaurant in L.A. Unfortunately, the restaurant was closed for lunch when we went to take these pictures but, based on the fun exterior, I definitely want to come back when they are open to dine!

 

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Dress: J .Crew similar here, here, and here

Hat: Anthropologie here

Shoes: Loeffler Randall here

Bag: Louis Vuitton similar here

 

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