Think Pink!

To be honest, I think every year I add about one or two new blazers to my collection. I now have pretty much all of the colors of the rainbow covered! This pink Dover blazer from J. Crew was my latest addition. Surprisingly, pink was one of the few colors missing from my collection. In addition to loving this particular light shade of pink, I also loved the price of the blazer, which came in at just under $90. You can't beat that for a wool blazer!

As I mentioned above, I now have a rainbow assortment of blazers, which all seem to match perfectly with my equally large collection of rainbow striped sweaters! The one I am wearing here was purchased a little while ago from the J. Crew factory and has gotten a lot of use as of late. Although it's no longer available, the Gap has a very similar one in a stunning "crazy stripe" print that I really love for the holidays! Talbot's also has a cute rainbow stripe sweater and, believe it or not, I purchased it during Cyber Monday! (I know, I said I wouldn't buy anything...oops!) So look for this sweater soon on my blog!

One final note: if you are paying close attention to the background of these photos, you might notice the grape vines behind me. I know what you're thinking: is Katie in Napa, Sonoma, or Paso Robles? Actually, I'm in Rancho Cucamonga for some wine tasting much closer to home! The amazing thing about Los Angeles is that you don't have to travel very far to find some fantastic wineries right in your own back yard. This is yet another thing to love about Los Angeles!

Blazer: J. Crew "Dover" blazer here, pink J. Crew Factory version
Sweater: J. Crew Factory similar here and here
Jeans: Old Navy similar here
Bag: Dooney and Bourke "Alto" here, similar here
Shoes: J. Crew similar red pumps
Sunglasses: Celine here

Camo Cameo

As you can see, there's a new wall in town! The artist of this gorgeous wall, which is located on the side of an inauspicious warehouse in the Arts District of Los Angeles, is Jen Stark. I thought I would be the first one to discover it and post pictures of it on my blog, but sadly Style Charades beat me to it and posted pictures of it this week! Oh, well. Not only did she beat me to it, but her pictures, as always, are absolutely gorgeous! I think it's best not to compare oneself to other bloggers, but sometimes it's hard, especially when you see your work as an amateur next to that of a professional.

Not only is this wall new, but so are my camo pants! I never thought I would see the day when someone such as myself, who usually gravitates toward more feminine styles, would wear camo, but I actually love these! My decision to purchase these pants was the result of seeing them on several bloggers and realizing how many things the camo print could complement. My husband hates it when I utter this same line about leopard print, but I actually think camo could be considered a neutral! After all, camo was originally intended to make one blend in. In an urban environment, however, I think it makes one stand out, but in a good way, of course!

Pants: Old Navy pixie chinos here, J. Crew version here
Tee: J. Crew similar here
Sneakers: J. Crew New Balance similar here
Bag: Clare Vivier Alistair here
Sunglasses: Celine

Snapping Up Holiday Deals?

'Tis the season for holiday deals! This time of year is a great time to buy gifts for others (or yourself!) at great prices. Between Black Friday, Cyber Monday and everything leading up to Christmas, there are a lot of great sales going on! Unfortunately, the thing that frustrates me is that the sales change so frequently that it's hard to know when is a good time to buy something and when you should hold off and wait for a better discount to be offered by the retailer. It's sort of like the stock market in terms of knowing when to buy and striking while the iron is hot!

I actually didn't go out shopping on Black Friday, unless you count going to the grocery store for produce. Again, most of the sales that I saw offered on Black Friday didn't really seem any better than the ones offered recently and previously throughout the year. Instead of Black Friday shopping, I did some shopping the week before to avoid the crowds, which included getting this turtleneck dress from J. Crew in store for under $20! I bought it at the private sale they J. Crew held last Sunday, which, I think, was by invite only. Regardless, no one asked to look at my invitation, probably because, like most days, I looked like a walking ad for J. Crew! At the private sale, J. Crew was offering 40% off the entire store, plus free doughnuts and mimosas! A dress for less than $20 plus a doughnut and a mimosa (or two!) is a good deal in my book!

So overall, my conclusion is that shopping on Black Friday or Cyber Monday doesn't necessarily result in deals that are much better than those at other points during the year. Sure, tomorrow my inbox will be flooded by retailers begging me to check out their Cyber Monday deals and, possessing little will power, I'll probably cave, but I don't know how much I will actually buy. The good news is that I have everything I could possibly need (and more!), plus I've done almost all of my holiday shopping for others already. Maybe it's just best to turn a blind eye to all of the hype with the holiday sales.

Dress: J. Crew here
Jacket: Target similar denim jacket here
Boots: Christian Louboutin "Cate" budget version here
Earrings: Kendra Scott c/o Rocksbox (use code hellokatiegirlblogxoxo to get the first month free!)
Bag: Fendi  here
Sunglasses: Prada on sale here

A Thanksgiving Skirt

I was planning on wearing this outfit this year for Thanksgiving, but given that it's going to be over 90 degrees today (and probably even hotter cooking in the kitchen!), I am going to opt for something simpler and cooler. I actually wore this ensemble to an event at a winery last weekend and while it wasn't exactly cool there, at least it wasn't 90 degrees!

I lucked out getting this skirt a few weeks ago from Anthropologie. It was on my radar this September at full price, but I felt it was too expensive. When it went on sale, it sold out before I could snatch it up, but it remained in my online shopping cart. When it showed up again as being back in stock in my cart, I was both surprised and pleased because it was discounted even more to 75% off  retail price! I bought it quickly before it sold out again, so I was thankful not only to get it, but to get it at a great price!

When the skirt arrived in the mail, I thought it would be perfect for Thanksgiving, given the color palette, but, as I mentioned above, I decided against wearing it. Another reason for not wearing it for Thanksgiving is that I've vowed never to wear anything to a family dinner that I would be upset about if it were ruined. This is because of an incident several years ago at a Thanksgiving dinner that involved a family member almost spilling hot turkey grease all over me! So, to make a long story short, I still haven't quite figured out what I'll be wearing to Thanksgiving dinner, but it doesn't really matter, because, as we all know, that's not the point of the holiday! So, with that said, I hope you have a Happy Thanksgiving! (And hopefully a family member doesn't poor scalding hot grease on you!)

Skirt: Anthropologie similar here, here
Sweater: H&M similar here, here
Shoes: Nine West similar blue velvet Mary Janes here, here
Bag: Kate Spade similar gold bag here, here
Necklace: J. Crew Factory
Sunglasses: Prada

So Many Sequins, So Little Time!

Do you ever feel like an article of clothing was just made for you? Like the designer specifically had you in mind when they created it? Well, that's exactly how I felt about this rainbow sequin skirt from Anthropologie! The moment I saw it with its countless sequins and myriad of colors, I knew it had "Katie" written all over it! It was also one of the few things this season that I splurged on and bought for full price, not willing to take a risk of it selling out before I could get my hands on it.

With so many colors in this skirt, it was actually difficult to decide what to pair it with, although that's one decision that I don't really mind making! As you can see, I went all out with colors in this ensemble, opting for a yellow sweater, purple tote, and pink velvet shoes. These velvet shoes were another holiday purchase that I splurged on because I was head over heels in love with them! Although they are from last year, Sam Edelman has a velvet pair in a similar color that are almost identical and Boden has a fun pair that has the same gold sparkle heel. You can definitely never have enough sparkle for the holidays, or anytime of the year for that matter!

Even though sequins scream the holidays, the pastel palette of this skirt would lend itself to any season, really. I could definitely see myself wearing this in the spring or summer with a T-shirt and maybe a denim jacket, so stay tuned for it next season on the blog! After all, I paid full price for it, so I might as well get my money's worth!

Skirt: Anthropologie sequined palette midi skirt here
Sweater: J. Crew similar here
Shoes: Kate Spade similar here
Bag: J. Crew similar here
Necklace: J. Crew Factory similar here
Sunglasses: Celine

A Tourist in My Own City

One of the perks of being a teacher is getting a full week off for Thanksgiving. Usually my husband and I take a short trip somewhere right before the holiday, but this year we are staying home. I can't complain because sometimes it's nice to just stay close to home and take some day trips, especially when you live in Los Angeles. With a growing list of things I want to do and explore, vacation time will definitely give me the opportunity to be a tourist in my own city!

When I travel places, I always like to bring DSLR camera because I never know what I will want to take pictures of. Speaking of cameras, this awesome silver camera bag from Charming Charlie is one of my favorite bags in my collection! Between my camera handbag and my souvenir Italy tee, I do kind of look like a tourist, although I'm definitely not in Italy, as you can see from the backdrop! These photos were actually taken in the Arts District of Los Angeles where colorful and graffiti walls are plentiful and make for some great photos for tourists and locals alike.

Tee: J. Crew similar here
Jeans: Old Navy boyfriend jeans here
Shoes: J. Crew "Gemma" flats similar here
Bag: Charming Charlie "Take a pic" bag here
Earrings: c/o Happiness Boutique here
Sunglasses: Celine