Watermelon Sequin Dress

Given the fact that we can't really leave the house anymore except for essentials and walks, I have had to get a little more creative with where I do blog photos. Formerly, I would scout locations, finding colorful walls or cute spots near where we would go out for lunch or dinner but for now I have to use what's somewhat nearby and free from people. Luckily, my neighborhood is currently in bloom with bougainvillea, which makes for the perfect, pretty backdrop. I thought that this new watermelon sequin dress was the perfect match my bougainvillea background so, all in all, it worked out for the best! Yes, it might be a little weird walking around the neighborhood in a sequin dress but there's a lot of weird things going on right now, so who cares?

Being resourceful and making the most out of what we have has also been applicable to other aspects of life during this time. For example, when it comes to cooking, I am trying to go through our pantry and refrigerator and use up everything we have in ways I might not have even thought of before. I am also very concerned with not letting anything go to waste, which is something that many of us took for granted (I know I did) before the pandemic broke out. So, while this might not be an ideal situation, I'm definitely learning some important lessons from the experiences, lessons that hopefully I won't forget once we get back to the little luxuries of life that we use to enjoy, like being able to take blog photos wherever I want!

Dress: J. Crew here
Shoes: J. Crew here and similar here
Bag: Mansur Gavriel here
Earrings: J. Crew
Sunglasses: Celine similar white sunglasses here
here 

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Rainbows and Sunshine

I don't know about you but I've made it through two weeks of self quarantine, sheltering in place, social distancing, or whatever you want to call it, and I could definitely use a little sunshine and rainbows! This is especially true due to the fact that the last few weeks have been somewhat cool, rainy and overcast. Luckily, the week before we hunkered down, I was able wear my new favorite rainbow dress out and about and photograph it with my favorite rainbow wall. This dress would look stunning anywhere but I feel like it was destined to be photographed with a rainbow wall for a "dressed to match" moment!

While this dress, which is from a company called Persifor, was a little bit of a splurge, I feel like it was worth it for a few reasons. First and foremost, it's perfect for me with the rainbow print! It's also a dress that I can see getting a lot of use out of in the future. Last of all, if you're not already sold on it, the dress is made in the USA, which is something that I've always liked to support if possible, even if I end up paying a little extra. Now, more than ever, it's a great time to support small businesses and companies here. I think I've definitely been doing my part to stimulate the economy during this time, although maybe a little too much!

Dress: Persifor here
Shoes: J. Crew
Bag: Louis Vuitton
Earrings: c/o Zenzii here (save 25% off at Zenzii with code Katie25)
Sunglasses: Celine similar white sunglasses here

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Red and Pink Stripes

I love a good skirt and color combination, which is why I was instantly drawn to this red and pink pleated midi skirt from J. Crew Factory. It reminds me of something that a brand like Kate Spade might have come out with a decade or so ago. In other words, it's just the right amount of classic, colorful and quirky, all rolled into one! The skirt is currently on "super sale", which makes it all the more appealing! While the skirt is from J. Crew Factory, the colorful pom pom sweater is, in fact, from Kate Spade. It's a classic piece that I find myself reaching for over and over again because it's so fun and it goes with just about everything in my wardrobe!

This is definitely the type of outfit that I would love to wear to work this spring but it will have to wait (who knows for how long?) because, like most of you, I'm working at home at the moment. I admire people who are still getting dressed up and putting on work appropriate attire and makeup, even though they are at home, but I'm just not that type of person. Plus, with William sleeping on my lap or being curled up beside me most of the day, the amount of dog hair on my clothes would be insane! As you can see, in addition to the desire to be comfortable, getting dressed up is just not a practical option for someone who owns a large dog who has no sense of boundaries!

Skirt: J. Crew Factory here
Sweater: Kate Spade similar pom pom sweater here
Shoes: Old Navy similar espadrilles here
Bag: J. Crew
Sunglasses: Celine

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Put Your Best Face Forward

These pictures were taken last month but, given everything that's happened lately, it feels like it was a year ago! Just the thought of being out in public or sitting down at a restaurant now seems like a very distant memory! On this particular occasion, I wore my new Alice + Olivia cardigan with the iconic Stace Face print on it. Alice + Olivia is my latest designer obsession! I just love all of the colors and the quirky designs that the brand puts out each season! Many retailers, including Alice + Olivia are having some great sales right now to try to stimulate business. Alice + Olivia is currently offering an extra 25% off your order this week, which is a pretty tempting deal!

I decided to go the route of primary colors with this look. The sweater has a very Andy Warhol/Mod vibe to it, so I figured red pants and a bold yellow bag was the best way to go in order to play up that particular aesthetic. In the future, I'm planning on pairing this particular sweater with either a black and white striped dress or skirt but that styling will most likely have to wait a while, seeing as though I won't be going out any time in the foreseeable future! Dressing up, much like the simple act of strolling down the street to shop or eat at a restaurant, is something I will not be taking for granted any more!

Sweater: Alice + Olivia similar sweater for this season here
Pants: J. Crew similar red pants here, here
Shoes: J. Crew Factory similar mint suede pumps here
Bag: Louis Vuitton yellow tote here
Sunglasses: Celine HERE

Stepping Into Spring With J.Crew New Arrivals

With everything going on, who couldn't use a little color to cut through the darkness? Well, J. Crew's new arrivals just launched this week and it's an explosion of color and, therefore, right up my alley! To be honest, it's been hard to resist shopping at home this week and with new arrivals like these, the temptation is even worse! The first thing I splurged on this spring from J. Crew, going back a few weeks, were these bow gorgeous bow pumps! They also come in mules and sandals for those of you who don't like heels. Below, you will see some of my J. Crew new arrival picks that just came out this week. I've actually already purchased three of these items, which I'm looking forward to wearing, hopefully sooner than later, once things get better and we can go out again. Can you guess which ones I got?

William's Birthday and Dog Yoga

Today is William's 8th Birthday! I kind of feel like a bad dog mom because usually I get him a couple of toys and treats to unwrap on his special day but in the chaos of everything going on right now, I didn't get around to it. To be honest, I think the thing William enjoys more than anything is having us around, so the best gift he could get is probably the fact that we'll be quarantined inside of our house for at least a few weeks! If anyone is benefiting from the Coronavirus outbreak, it is most certainly our dogs! Another thing William loves is walks but since we've been having mostly nonstop rain here for days, he hasn't had many lately. Luckily, yesterday the rain stopped and the sun came out for a while, so I seized the opportunity to put on my new dog yoga tee and sneakers so we could take William for a nice walk. The fresh air was very much needed by all of us and a good reminder to try to get out in nature, even if we can't be out in public!

I think this dog yoga tee is perfect for not only William's birthday, since he is, after all, a dog (although he doesn't know how to do yoga!) but also as a reminder to just take a deep breath during these difficult times. I know that it is easier said than done but, just like what happened the day of our walk, at some point the storm clouds will break and the sun will come out and we will get back to normal. Who knows when that will be but for now, I am just going to enjoy spending time with my dog, my husband and the little things in life like walks in the park! If dogs can love the simple things like spending time with loved ones and going for walks to the park, why can't we?

Tee: J. Crew Factory here
Jeans: Old Navy here
Sneakers: Keds here
Headband: Old Navy Factory here
Sunglasses: Celine similar white sunglasses here

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Work Outfits on Pause

Like many of you, I will be staying home for the next few weeks or maybe more depending on what happens. My school announced, along with most of the schools in the Los Angeles area, that it would be closed due to the threat of the Coronavirus. It's a pretty confusing time, mostly because of lots of uncertainty, but my current mindset is to just enjoy my time staying home by doing things around the house, watching a lot of movies, reading, playing games, and relaxing because, at this point, there's really nothing you can do except to try to distance yourself as much as possible from other people. This means that I'm pretty much going to be in sweats and PJs throughout the day, which, despite my love of dressing up, I definitely don't mind! Therefore, for this post, I thought I would share two looks that I wore to work recently that I really loved.

One thing that I've been really into lately is color-blocking because it's just so easy and fun! This outfit with my pink pleated skirt and mint blazer is an example of my recent obsession with color-blocking for spring. What really tops it off, however, is my new Loren Hope dragonfly brooch! Loren Hope has become my new obsession lately! It started with acquiring one of her one-of-a-kind butterfly brooches a couple of months ago and now I don't know when it's going to stop because her pieces are just that good!

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The next outfit was inspired by someone that I follow on Instagram. One of the things I love about the blogging and Instagram community is that so many people share my love for J. Crew and have similar pieces in their wardrobe, so it's really easy to recreate a look! I recreated the look in the outfit below, which consists of a yellow cardigan and a pleated rainbow skirt. (While this rainbow skirt pops back up every once and a while on J. Crew's website, there's a similar one here at Boden that I also love!) Now that I think about it, pleated skirts just might be one of my other favorite trends for spring!

Who knows what the next few weeks or even few days will bring but I'm going to try to keep up with my blog and posting pictures on Instagram as much as I can. Although we have to physically distance ourselves from one another at this time, with social media, it's possible to reach out to people online, which is a way to feel connected despite the physical distance. It might be shallow but looking at everyone's happy, colorful pictures or even seeing what people are doing to pass the time, brings us all closer together, even though we are far apart!

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New Kicks on the Block

This Sunday, my husband and I went to a relatively new location in Downtown Los Angeles called Row DTLA. One of the things that I love about this location is all of the amazing murals and art they have, which is on view as you stroll through the shops and restaurants in the area. Obviously, this makes for some really great backdrops for photos! On this particular occasion, I wore a cashmere sweater and my new blue pencil skirt for a dressed to match moment with this stunning geometric floor. As much as I love this outfit, the real star of the ensemble is my new striped bow pumps from J. Crew! This was my first time wearing them and I wanted to step out in style!

When I saw these shoes, it was definitely love at first sight! I love the color palette, which is referred to on the J. Crew website as "bubble gum merigold". The shoes almost look like something that a very fashionable Barbie might wear! When I posted these shoes on Instagram a few days ago, many people inquired about the comfort level of the shoes. I will admit that I didn't wear these for a long time but I did find them to be quite comfortable to walk in, especially due to the slightly thicker heel.  For those of you who don't like high heels, these shoes also come in flats and sandals. I would be lying if I didn't admit that I kind of want to get all the versions of the aforementioned shoes because I love this color scheme so much!

Skirt: here
Sweater: here
Shoes: here, sandal version, mule version
Bag: here
Headband: here

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