On the Playground: Monster Park

Even though Vincent Lugo Park, aka "Monster Park" in San Gabriel is a place I've traveled to before, I still marked it on my summer "to do list". One of the reasons was to take some photos, which I neglected to do the first time around. Second of all, how can you resist the whimsical charm of this playful host of monsters and sea creatures? Sure this park is meant for kids, and to be certain there were plenty of them the day I visited, but grownups can have fun enjoying the sculptures here as well—I certainly did!

Because I am a kid at heart (a euphemism for "immature"?) I threw on some childish, fun accessories, like my kate spade pencil necklace. The bunny charm on my bag also offers an air of whimsy. And then there is the color—lots, and lots of color! Color is perhaps the ultimate hallmark of youthful enthusiasm.

Below you will find some of the sculptures located in the park. This particular section is known as the La Laguna area of Vincent Lugo Park. For a quick history lesson, these sculptures were created and added to the park in 1965. Benjamin Dominguez and his two sons crafted the statues from colored concrete and they have stood smiling at visitors ever since. In 2005, plans to renovate the park called for the removal of these colorful creatures from their natural habitat. Luckily, residents banded together and fought to save the sculptures. Since then many of the sculptures have been restored and repainted, although unfortunately they have been marred in some places by graffiti.

I hope you enjoyed my journey through this unreal realm of creatures and monsters. It truly is a hidden, yet jubilant gem in the quirky and offbeat history of Los Angeles!

Dress: kate spade "Nico" dress

Shoes: J. Crew

Bag: Prada Saffiano Lux Tote

Bunny Charm: Prada 

Necklace: kate spade 

Sunglasses: Prada

Linking Up With: The Wednesday Pants , Because Shanna Said So
Style Me Weekly, What I Wore, Oh Hey Girl 

Yellow and Blue

Certain color palettes become rather addictive. Take, for example, blue and yellow. For summer, the two colors paired together are instantly bright, chic and refreshing. When I saw a similar outfit with similar pieces (a blue floral top and striped yellow skirt) on another blog, I knew I wanted to give my own interpretation a try. I think it turned out pretty well, but how can you go wrong with blue and yellow? It's always an instant win!

Speaking of color palettes and matching things together, this leopard bag from Clare V. has become my go to bag when I don't think any other colors in my bag collection will work with what I have on. For example, with today's ensemble I decided that using a yellow or blue bag would be just too much of the same colors. I contemplated brown, but that seemed kind of boring, so the leopard won by default. I am staring to really buy into the idea of leopard as a neutral, although it may sound absurd!

Shirt: Zara

Skirt: kate spade "Barry" similar here

Bag: Clare V. Leopard Supreme Foldover clutch here

Shoes: J. Crew "Lillian" Wedges in Mirror similar here

Necklace: J. Crew

Sunglasses: Prada "Baroque"

Linking Up With: How I Summer, Let it Shine, Shoe and Tell
 Turning Heads, Confident Twosday, and Trend Spin

Lucky Green

Sometimes certain articles of clothing just have that "wow" factor due to an outstanding print or cut. To me, this kate spade "Lorella" skirt in what the company describes as "Lucky Green" certainly has an "it" factor due to both the cut and print. I am a sucker for an outstanding floral print, and this one certainly fits the bill. Plus, the skirt is full and dramatic—a silhouette that I also can't seem to resist.

The only problem with such a perfect skirt is that I wanted to save it for either the perfect occasion or the perfect location to photograph on my blog. I decided on this mid-century modern backdrop in Pasadena, which actually is of historical significance. I did a little research and found out that it used to be the Stuart Pharmaceutical Building designed by architect, Edward Durell Stone in the 1950s. It is even on the national registry of historic buildings. Now it has been renovated into an upscale condo complex and a theater. So it turns out that my perfect skirt did find a perfect, not to mention significant, backdrop after all.

Skirt: kate spade "Lorella" in Lucky Green here

Shirt: J. Crew

Shoes: Christian Louboutin "Simple" Pumps

Bag: J. Crew Envelope Clutch

Sunglasses: Prada "Baroque"

Linking Up With: Flashback Fashion Friday, Passion for Fashion

Abstract Fronds

First off, I would like to thank the hair salon one block over from my favorite Orange County shabu shabu restaurant for having a building, not to mention landscaping, that perfectly matched my outfit today! I was seriously not expecting that, I swear! However, I love it when an outfit and a background come together in perfect harmony!

Second, my inspiration from this skirt came from the Instagram account LIKEtoKNOW.it. Somehow I ended up subscribing to it and it has been addictive ever since. If you don't already know about it, the account features bloggers, but they deviously don't tell you any of the details of the outfits featured unless you "Like" the photo. "Liking" the photo then sends an email "straight to your inbox" with all the relevant details of where each piece of the blogger's outfit can be found. I occasionally see things I like, such as this skirt, which I thought was going to be much more expensive than it was. It turns out that it was from Forever 21 and that meant it was cheap, cheap, cheap, which is always a plus. Also, the scuba-like fabric of the skirt was perfect for shabu shabu today, because you can easily just wipe up anything that splashes or spills.  All in all it was a win, win situation!

Skirt: Forever 21: Abstract Frond Print here

Shirt: J. Crew

Shoes: J. Crew "Valentina" in Mirror similar here and here

Bag: Louis Vuitton Marly bb in "Pistache"

Necklace: J. Crew

Sunglasses: Prada "Baroque"

Linking Up With: Throw Back Thursday, Thursday Fashion Files
 Thursday Favorites and Fun Fashion Friday

Mirror, Mirror

Unfortunately, there is a double meaning behind the title of my post today. Originally, the title was going to be about my new sunglasses. Lately, I have caught the mirrored sunglasses bug after seeing them on bloggers and in stores over the last few months or so. I was considering investing in some Illvesta mirrored sunglasses, but when I saw these for a little over $10 from the J. Crew Factory, I thought I would pocket the extra $200 for something else. Truth be told, these are actually men's sunglasses, but they are actually quite small—either that or I have a large head. It's probably both!

The other more unfortunate side of my title comes from the fact that the day I "debuted" these new glasses was also the day that someone hit the mirror of my parked car in the parking lot of Target. I am always careful to park away from other cars and walk; it's good for the car and good for me, but today it didn't pay off and I found my mirror dangling off the side of the car. Of course, no note was left, so now that $200 I saved on my glasses is going toward the $400 cost to buy and install a new mirror. In the words of Full House's Michelle Tanner, "How Rude!"

(Yes, it was an all J. Crew day!)

Shirt: J. Crew

Shorts: J. Crew similar here

Shoes: J. Crew similar here

Bag: J. Crew "Sophie" crossbody

Bracelets: J. Crew/Forever 21

Sunglasses: J. Crew Factory here

Linking Up With: Trend Spin, Style Sessions, Bloggers Who Have Inspired Me,
Confident Tuesdays and Because Shanna Said So

Lemons Love Leopard

I bought this lemon patterned dress last summer from Banana Republic and I think it just screams "summer"! For whatever reason the dress also screams "Stepford Wife" to me, probably due to its classic silhouette. This is most likely the reason why I always pair the dress with pearls. Anyway, this is definitely a classic, summer dress that I will have for years to come or until I no longer fit in it. Even though the print is somewhat busy with all of the lemons, there are actually quite a few ways to style it. Today I opted for something a little different with my Clare V. Leopard clutch and red heels. Next summer I'll probably do a post with something entirely different.

Since Southern California is known for its citrus groves, it's easy to find tons of great places to take pictures in citrus themed apparel. While this mosaic mural isn't a literal depiction of lemons, I think if you use your imagination, the yellow blobs could look like lemons. Or maybe I am just seeing things?

Dress: Banana Republic similar here and here

Bag: Clare V. Foldover Leopard Clutch here

Shoes: kate spade

Belt: kate spade

Necklace: J. Crew

Sunglasses: Ray-Ban

Linking Up With: Shoe and Tell, Still Being Molly, How I Summer
and Turning Heads