The Perfect Party Pants!

Last week, we went out to pick up some lunch and I decided to revisit one of my mural finds from last year. This fun mural is comprised of giant license plates that come together to make a fabulous rhino (make sure to scroll down to the last picture to see it!). It can be found along the historic Route 66. I thought this mural, with all of the lively colors, would be the perfect match for my wide leg Uniqlo x Marimekko pants.

Over the last couple years, I have really been getting into wide leg pants. I guess I tend to like extremes because most of my pants have a really slim fit or have a really wide leg. I don't really have a lot that is in between when it comes to pants. Well, these pants are great for the hot weather, as the relaxed fit and cropped length makes them super comfortable. I also adore the color combo and the signature Marimekko polka dots in pink! They would be the perfect party pants if I could only attend a party! With social distancing still very much in place in California, particularly in Los Angeles, parties are definitely off limits still but I guess you could say I am having my own party with this Rhino!

Pants: Unqlo x Marimekko here
Tee: H&M similar here
Shoes: J. Crew similar green pumps here
Bag: Zara similar here
Sunglasses: Prada here

Shop the Post

Like a Summer Picnic

I hope everyone had a relaxing three day weekend for Memorial Day! It's hard to believe that summer is upon us but with a heatwave coming this week to Southern California, I am no longer in denial! I thought this cute tee featuring various fruits and vegetables and my check skirt would be the perfect thing to wear for the Memorial Day holiday because of the patriotic colors of red, white, and blue. I also think that this outfit looks like a summer picnic embodied in an outfit! The top, featuring all of the summery fruits, is a nod to what one might pack in a picnic basket and the skirt, obviously, looks like it could very easily be a picnic blanket! The park where these photos were taken would make for an ideal picnic location and, actually, a few people were there relaxing on blankets or sitting at picnic tables.

You might recall that I also have a dress in this fun print, which is from the Uniqlo collaboration with Marimekko. As you can tell, I purchased a lot of pieces from that collection. In fact, I even placed a new order from Uniqlo to buy some additional pieces that I missed the first time around! Luckily, this top was under $20, so it was a very affordable piece to add to my wardrobe. It looks cute tucked into a skirt but it would be equally cute in cooler months with a pair of green or blue pants. This particular styling of my tee will most likely have to wait until things cool off a bit, which may not be for a while, now that summer is in full swing!

Tee: Uniqlo here
Skirt: J. Crew Factory similar gingham skirt here
Sandals: J. Crew similar gold sandals here
Bag: J. Crew
Sunglasses: Celine similar here

Shop the Post

Lights, Camera, Action!

I think I've found my official bag for summer and it's this fun, wicker camera bag from Kate Spade! Usually, when you think of camera bags, you think of the iconic squarish crossbody bags that are so popular lately but this one is literally a camera! Okay, it's not literally a camera because it doesn't take pictures but you get the point! I actually have another camera bag that I purchased a couple years ago from Charming Charlie. The problem with that bag is that it's not large enough to fit anything in it, which is why I give Kate Spade credit for coming up with a bag that is cute and fairly practical. This bag comfortably fits my wallet and iPhone in it, so I can take it for a stroll wherever I go! It was also the perfect match for my pleated floral skirt for a vintage vibe!

I decided to pair my cute camera bag with a classic, yet colorful outfit. I purchased this pleated skirt from J. Crew a few weeks ago and I absolutely adore the print! Speaking of J. Crew, I haven't addressed this on my blog yet but I was a bit saddened to learn that J. Crew filed for bankruptcy a few weeks ago. (I guess my efforts of keeping them in business by buying just about everything from them failed!) Well, hopefully they will be able to get back on their feet soon while continuing to offer some great clothing! If not, I guess I will just have to find some other brand to fall in love with...maybe Kate Spade!

Skirt: J. Crew here, similar here
Blouse: French Connection similar here
Bag: Kate Spade here and here
Shoes: J. Crew similar here
Sunglasses: Celine
Earrings: c/o Zenzii here (Save 25% off your order at Zenzii with code KATIE25)

Shop the Post

Wander with Love

I'm back with another fun piece from the Uniqlo collaboration with Marimekko! This time around it's a wavy patterned striped skirt that I just adore! I decided to pair my skirt with a statement tee that reads, "Wander with Love".  While the skirt is new, I purchased this tee at least a couple years ago from Forever 21. Originally, I liked the message because I thought it would be perfect for all of the wandering I do around Los Angeles but, sadly, exploring the city isn't really much of an option right now. I did, however, explore a local park where I discovered these yellow wildflowers that I've never seen before. I also made friends with a Golden Retriever who wanted to show me his tennis ball and drool on my skirt! Luckily, since I love dogs, especially Golden Retrievers, I didn't mind. I guess this just goes to show that you can wander in your own backyard and still discover some amazing things!

In addition to my tee, I also decided to pair my skirt with some summery favorites like my straw circle bag and pom pom sandals! Whenever I wear these sandals, I always get a ton of compliments, which is understandable because they really do make a statement! The sandals are also super comfortable so I look forward to, hopefully, wandering with love in them sometime in the near future, perhaps even to someplace beyond the confines of a local park!

Skirt: Unqilo x Marimekko here
Tee: Forever 21
Sandals: Kate Spade similar here
Bag: Zara similar here
Sunglasses: Celine

Shop the Post

Dots and Stripes

Earlier in the week, my husband and I went to go pick up some takeout from a local restaurant. I went with him and sat in the car because it's honestly nice to get in the car and look at something that's not my house or backyard for a little while! Well, for this "momentous" occasion of getting out of the house for something other than a walk, I got dressed in my new Marimekko tee! Because this tee is so playful and fun with it's whimsical dot pattern, I decided to opt for some fun, wide-legged pants to top off the look. I also thought my pink Mansur Gavriel bag, due to its round shape, would be the perfect complement to the look!

You might remember that last week I wore a dress that was also from the Uniqlo x Marimekko collaboration. Well, this is the second post in what will be at least a few more featuring items from this line! I know that I went a little overboard with getting my hands on Marimekko items from Uniqlo but the way that I justified it to myself (and my husband!) is that what I spent on 6 items was about the same price, maybe even less, than just one item from Marimekko's regular line of clothing! I was really thrilled that Uniqlo was able to offer some very aesthetically fun pieces that are good quality that all retail for under $50 a piece! In fact, I'm so thrilled that I'm even contemplating getting a few more things from the collection!

Tee: Marimekko x Uniqlo here
Pants: J Crew similar here
Shoes: J. Crew siilar silver wedges here
Bag: Mansur Gavriel here
Sunglasses: Celine

Shop the Post

Rainbow Buttons

Memorial Day, which marks the unofficial beginning of summer, is just around the corner and, for those who play by strict fashion rules, it also marks the start to being able to wear white. Like most women, I think I have come to embrace the idea of wearing white all year round. Certainly, nothing is as chic as wearing white, although it does have its drawbacks like attracting pesky stains! This year, I decided to spring for a white skirt and take my chances with getting it dirty! Naturally, I had to get one that had a little something extra and colorful, which is why this white linen skirt with rainbow buttons from Boden ended up being the perfect fit for me! (If you love the idea of rainbow buttons as much as I do, it's also available in a dress and blouse!)

This skirt proves that good things come to those who wait. Because Boden is a British company that ships from overseas, they indicated that there would be some shipping issues due to the pandemic. I didn't really mind because, after all, it's not like I'm going anywhere soon where I need to wear a white linen skirt! While I wasn't concerned with getting my skirt right away, after about a month I began to worry. After checking the tracking number, I noticed my parcel had been sitting in New York for weeks! At that point, I came to the conclusion that my skirt was lost or stolen and I was even getting ready to cancel my order but, luckily, it showed up at my door a week later. Well, I still have nowhere to wear the skirt but we did end up taking some cute pictures at this local pastel wall while practicing social distancing, of course. To be honest, it felt nice to be dressed up again and next to a happy, colorful wall!

Skirt: Boden here, dress version, blouse version
Top: Target similar here
Shoes: J Crew similar here
Bag: Mansur Gavriel here
Earrings: Charming Charlie

Shop the Post

When Life Gives You Lemons...

I own a lot of lemon print items of clothing so, chances are, I have probably used the title of today's post before! Well, I love lemons and lemon print and the saying "When life gives you lemons, make lemonade" could not be more perfect for the situation we are all going through, so why not use the title again? Recently, I purchased this fun lemon print dress online at H&M. While I have a couple other lemon print dresses, I was drawn to this particular one because I love the oversized print and the playful, puffy sleeves. It is most definitely the perfect summer dress!

As I mentioned, the saying "when life gives you lemons, make lemonade" is what we are all living by or at least trying to live by in these difficult times. Personally, I am taking this saying both literally and figuratively. In the literal sense, we have a lemon tree in our back yard so we have been making a lot of delicious, refreshing lemonade lately! In the figurative sense, I am getting time to do a lot of things I didn't have the ability to do before—simple things like watching a movie late at night, learning how to cook a dish I've never made before and, yes, making lemonade! I am definitely enjoying the simple things in life more than I use to and learning to be more resourceful and less wasteful, which might be the sweet silver lining to a sour situation.

Dress: H&M here, another lemon option here
Shoes: J. Crew similar gold sandals here
Bag: Louis Vuitton similar green tote here
Headband: J. Crew similar here
Bracelet: c/o Zenii here (save 25% off your order with code: Katie25)

Shop the Post