Running in Circles

It's no secret that I am obsessed with polka dots! And the bigger the dots, the better! For these reasons, I absolutely fell in love with these polka dot boyfriend chinos from J. Crew. These pants truly have it all, being both stylish and comfortable due to their more relaxed boyfriend fit. Although I bought these pants months ago, J. Crew re-released them in a slightly different color for spring this season. Clearly, they were a big hit in terms of sales and it's not hard to see why!

To play up the circular theme, I decided to pair my polka dot pants with my Clare V. Alistair bag. I know that round bags are sort of a trend right now, but I can't get enough of them! It's definitely a fun and unexpected shape for a handbag and somewhat reminiscent of the chic circular luggage that was in vogue in the 60s. I guess when it comes to fashion, everything comes full circle. I also have my signature round Prada Baroque sunglasses on in this look to complete the theme of circular shapes. Last of all, when I wore this outfit a couple of weeks ago, I was running in circles trying to find the perfect spot for pictures but I found this fun mural right under my nose! It too adds to the circular theme, so it all worked out perfectly in the end! I love it when a theme comes together!

Shirt: Target here
Pants: J. Crew boyfriend chino here
Shoes: J. Crew
Bag: Clare V. Alistair here
Earrings: J. Crew similar here
Sunglasses: Prada Baroque here

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One Way? More Like No Way!

When I saw this fun mural posted on Instagram, it was love at first sight! Nothing was going to stop me from visiting it and I went to quite some lengths trying to find out where it was located. I knew it was in a shopping complex called The Row DTLA located in the Arts District of Los Angeles but I didn't know where it was within the rows of abandoned warehouses that make up the mall, so I utilized Google Maps to pinpoint the exact location using the street view feature. When the day arrived, I was all set with the precise location, the perfect outfit, and my trusty photographer/husband at my side!

Everything was going smoothly when we arrived.  We were in a bit of a rush because we had an event that we needed to get to in the area that day and we couldn't be late. The plan was to get in and get out in about 10 minutes. Once we arrived at the wall, it was everything I could have hoped for and more! The place was mostly deserted except for some workmen, so it was easy to get a handful of shots in a short amount of time. I wanted just one last one when I noticed a security guard angrily coming our way. He told my husband that we weren't supposed to be anywhere near here because it was private property and was off limits to the public. In short, he demanded that we leave immediately! It mystifies me as to why someone would put such a gorgeous mural someplace where people are not supposed to go! Luckily, we had all the pictures that I wanted and were about to leave anyway.

My latest edition of Los Angeles Magazine features this particular shopping center and one of the reasons they cite for visiting it is to marvel at the art and murals they have on the premises! Clearly, that's not actually the case. I could see why they would say "no way" to photos if I had a bunch of professional photo equipment along with a crew but that's clearly not the way I roll; it's me, my husband, and a camera. Regardless, it was quite a thrilling experience and I love these pictures, so it was totally worth it! Would I go back? Probably not. Although, come to think about it, there is actually one more mural there that I have my eye! I guess I'm just a glutton for punishment!

Shirt: Old Navy here
Pants: Banana Republic "Ryan" here, additional option here
Shoes: Target here
Clutch: Milly here
Earrings: J. Crew similar gold earrings here
Sunglasses: Celine

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Building an Outfit Around the Shoes

Last weekend, I picked up these Drake for J. Crew shoes for a steal. The shoes were normally priced around $300 but I paid just $45! I was so excited about them that I had to immediately build an outfit around them! I decided to go with some color blocking to make sure that the shoes were the star of the show, so I reached way back in my closet and found this pleated skirt I purchased about six years ago in addition to this bright green sweater. The coat, which I picked up last year from Banana Republic, was an afterthought that just happened to perfectly match what I was planning to wear. Luckily, a cold spell has hit the Los Angeles area so we finally have weather that's cool enough for wearing a coat! Actually, now that I think about it, perhaps the coat is actually stealing the shoes' thunder!

I wore this outfit to go to a fun murder mystery dinner. My husband and I like to go to these because the acting is always campy and over the top and the plot rarely makes sense but it's definitely a good time! My favorite part of the murder mystery dinner is when I get to write down my answer to "who done it" near the end before the detective announces what happened. I always try to come up with a funny, creative answer and I've actually won prizes (usually a bottle of wine) for doing so in the past. Sadly, this time my answer was just not judged to be funny enough and someone else walked off with the prize. I think if there had been a prize for best and certainly most colorful outfit, however, I definitely would have won that!

Coat: Banana Republic similar pink coat here
Skirt: H&M similar pleated skirt
Sweater: J. Crew Factory
Belt: Target similar here
Earrings: Bauble Bar on sale here
Shoes: J. Crew "Lucie" pump here
Bag: J. Crew Factor
Sunglasses: Celine

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Stiff Upper Lip

If you're looking at this post and thinking that you're experiencing outfit deja vu, you're probably not alone. Last week, for Valentine's Day, I wore a very similar outfit that included a lip print blouse. Clearly, I can't get enough of lip prints! While both lip blouses are equally amazing, the price point of this one from SheIn, which is just under $20, makes it really appealing! Plus, the lips are really big and colorful, which makes it all the more fun!

I took these pictures just yesterday and I will have to say that a sudden cold spell has hit the Southern California area. (This was the one day when I could have definitely worn something warmer!)  In addition to the cold, it was also extremely windy and it's always fun taking pictures when it's windy! These photos involved a lot of waiting around for the strong gusts to pass, followed by me screaming "Okay, take it now!" My husband, who was also actually a little bit cold (yes, that's how cold it was!) was not exactly thrilled with the whole experience, but was still able to keep a stiff upper lip in the midst of adversity! I tried my best as well.

Shirt: c/o SheIn allover lip print tie-blouse here
Pants: J. Crew similar here
Shoes: J. Crew similar here
Bag: Mansur Gavriel here
Sunglasses: Celine

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Safari Ready

This January, I scored so many great deals at J. Crew that I am still posting about them! While I'd love to be the type of blogger who gets items as soon as it comes out and posts it before anyone else, I have to face the fact that I am a sucker for a good deal.  Because of this, I wait until I can buy things at a price that I feel comfortable with before I make a purchase. Luckily, J. Crew offers many similar things from season to season, so I can always share similar items with my readers. Take, for example, this deer print popover blouse: some sizes are still available, but it's mostly sold out. The good news is that  J. Crew just came out with an equally adorable shirt for spring with elephants that has a very similar print and color scheme as this one!

The elephant version of this shirt would also look great with the safari-esque accessories that I am featuring in this look! I felt that this chino skirt, also from J. Crew, would be a perfect pairing. I also have my trusty Clare V. leopard clutch that might be one of the most used bags that I own. For a little bit of glam, I added my gold ball earrings from BaubleBar and my lovely cuff bracelet from Les Georgettes. I featured the bracelet last month on my blog and explained how inside of the metal bracelet is a double-sided, reversible leather liner so you can change the color depending on your outfit. Here I am featuring the blue side, which is a perfect match for this shirt. As you can see, if you are going to go on a safari, you might as well have the right accessories and make it a style safari!

Shirt: Deer print popover blouse here, similar elephant print blouse here
Skirt: J. Crew similar here
Shoes: J. Crew almost identical red flats here
Earrings: BaubleBar on sale here
Bracelet: c/o Les Georgette here
Bag: Clare V. foldover leopard clutch here
Sunglasses: Prada

Maxi Flowers

I hope everyone enjoyed Valentine's Day yesterday! I'm not a big fan of getting lots of flowers for the occasion, or at least expensive ones, as it seems foolish to spend a lot of money on something that will die in a week or less. To address this, my husband and I have a ritual where he picks out a modest bouquet for $3.99 at Trader Joe's. Sure, that might seem cheap, but I wouldn't have it any other way! (Besides, he surprised me with a far better gift later in the evening!) Plus, I have been given far more expensive flowers and the $3.99 ones actually last much longer than the expensive ones! One floral thing that I can't say "no" to is a floral skirt, which is why I just had to add this one from Target to my collection!

One of the things I love about this skirt is, obviously, the floral print. I mixed it with a striped tissue turtleneck tee because, to be honest, there's no pattern mixing combination that I love better than stripes paired with florals! Throw in a little leopard, as I did today, and I'm in outfit heaven! I also like the fact that this skirt is maxi length because it makes it different from many of the other skirts I own. My husband swears that I have a skirt that looks just like this somewhere in my closet (and perhaps I do!) but I just can't get enough of floral skirts!

Skirt: Target birdcage tulip print skirt here
Top: J. Crew striped tissue turtleneck here
Shoes: Kate Spade
Bag: Clare V. foldover leopard clutch here
Sunglasses: Prada here

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