Summer Blues at the Newport Sculpture Park

I'm a couple of weeks into my summer vacation and while normally I am ecstatic about this time of the year and the freedom that it brings, there is something a little bit sad about this summer in comparison to summers past. Usually, summer is filled with concerts at the Hollywood Bowl under the stars, eating out, and exploring new neighborhoods but many of these things can't happen this year due to the pandemic. So, in order to get over my summer blues, I'm trying to find some off of the beaten path places that I haven't been to yet in order to pass the time. For example, last week we visited the Newport Beach Civic Center to look at the amazing sculpture garden they have on the premises!

One of the things that I noticed about the Newport Beach Civic Center Park before visiting is that they have these amazing blue, geometric bridges in several locations. Not being one to miss an opportunity to dress to match my location, I donned yet another Marimekko creation, this time a blue and white shirtdress. This shirtdress proved to be the perfect match, color-wise, for the bridge, not to mention it seemed like the type of "arty" thing one might wear for a stroll of the grounds of a sculpture garden!

Dress: Uniqlo/Marimekko here
Bag: Prada similar here, here
Shoes: Kate Spade
Earrings: c/o Zenzii (Save 25% with code KATIE25) here

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My favorite thing about the sculpture garden at the Newport Beach Civic Center was the numerous bunny sculptures that can be found in a couple of locations in the park. The most famous, or perhaps I should say infamous, scuplture is referred to as "Bunnyhenge" and it consists of 14 large white bunnies sitting around in a perfect circle. (Who knows what they are up to!) I mentioned that this sculpture is infamous, which is mainly due to the fact that my research about it uncovered that it was quite costly and many residents took issue with the money the city spent on it. While I think it was money well spent, I will admit that the bunnies are a little mysterious and creepy but since I love rabbits and I love odd art, it proved to be right up my alley!

(I think this singular bunny pictured below is a little bit more friendly and approachable!)

Below, you will find a handful of other sculptures that are located at the Newport Civic Center Sculpture Park. I thought the mirrored stop sign that, ironically, says, "START" instead of "STOP" would be a great place to start...haha! While my photos don't showcase all of the work that can be found in the sculpture garden, hopefully it will whet your appetite to explore this park on your own if you find yourself in Orange County or if you are in Los Angeles and, like me, are looking to get out and do something unique. It's a fun way to spend the day and take some spectacular photos!

For those of you who want to visit the Newport Civic Center Sculpture Park, feel free to check out the city's website here for more information! Between the fresh ocean air and views and lovely art, you won't be disapointed!

Transitional Floral

The weather here has been all over the place! We've had cool mornings that turn into much warmer afternoons and you can definitely feel that spring is just around the corner, even if it's still a little cool. For this reason, I have been dressing in layers and also finding ways to incorporate prints, such as florals, that have a spring feel into outfits that are still suitable for winter.  This floral print top, which is now on sale at J. Crew, is the perfect piece for transitioning between cooler winter days and spring. It's a mix of fun, bright colors and some darker undertones, so it doesn't seem too overtly spring/summer. It also looks great with a cashmere sweater thrown on top of it and a wool pencil skirt, which is how I am wearing it here. Come spring, I'll probably wear it on its own with a bright pair of pants or maybe even jeans.

My floral earrings are also a nod to the idea that spring and budding flowers are right around the corner! I love the orange, coral color of these earrings, which are from Zenzii. It reminds me of a color that I believe J. Crew called "modern red" years and years ago when that particular hue was all the rage. I still love the color and think it's timeless and classic. Also, remember that you can save 25% off these earrings and your entire order from Zenzii by using code Katie25. Zenzii is a great place to pick up some fun, floral pieces of jewelry in anticipation of spring!

Shirt: here
Sweater: similar cashmere cardigan here
Skirt: here
Bag: here
Shoes: here
Earrings: c/o Zenzii (Save 25% off using code Katie25)

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Pale Pink Jeans and Heart Earrings

I'm continuing with this week's theme of Valentine's Day and hearts with a pair of pink boyfriend jeans and a super soft striped tissue turtleneck tee. While the outfit doesn't exactly scream "Valentine's Day," standing in front of a heart wall and wearing a pair of heart earrings definitely helps! I really love these heart earrings from Zenzii, which come in a variety of colors. As I have stated before, hearts are something that I enjoy wearing all the time, so these earrings will be getting a lot of use from me, not just in the month of February but for many months to come! Also, my readers can save 25% off of these earrings, plus your entire order from Zenzii with code Katie25 at checkout.

A couple years ago I did an entire post about where to find the best heart walls in Los Angeles and this one, located in Eagle Rock, California definitely made the list! Believe it or not, here around Valentine's Day, some of these heart walls can get pretty crowded with people! One of the reasons why I love this particular mural is because it's a little off of the beaten path and not known to that many people. I guess it's my little secret! So, if you're in the Eagle Rock area, definitely seek it out for cute and colorful heart pics!

Top: J. Crew here
Pants: Old Navy here
Earrings: c/o Zenzii here
Shoes: J. Crew here
Bag: Clare V. here

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Pink Party Dress and Parrots

Did you stay up until midnight to shop the launch of Target's 20th Anniversary Collection, which launched a few weeks ago? I did because I wanted to make sure that I got all of my coveted pieces! Most of the pieces I wanted were from designer Isaac Mizrahi because the collection was so fun and colorful! Also, I remember buying some of the original pieces from Isaac Mizrahi when he first collaborated with Target. (That seems like a long, long time ago!) One of the pieces that I originally passed over when I placed my initial order from the Anniversary Collection was this pink corduroy dress because I thought I already had too many pink dresses. I didn't know at the time that it was made out of corduroy, however, which changed my mind.

When I saw the dress in person in the store, I fell in love with it! For only $35, the construction was quite nice and it's even lined and has a tulle underskirt to make it more poofy! Also, I love the fact that it's corduroy because it makes the dress a little more casual. I am planning on eventually layering a long sleeve tee underneath it or, perhaps, pairing it with a denim jacket once it gets cooler here!

Last of all, I decided that this dress would be the perfect thing to wear with my new parrot earrings, which I just got from Amazon. They are inspired by a pair that were originally made by Bauble Bar, but my pair is a fraction of the price! With all of the colors and sparkles, I thought they would be the perfect accessory to this pink dress, in addition to my rainbow clutch!

Dress: Target/Isaac Mizrahi here
Shoes: J. Crew Factory similar here
Earrings: Amazon here
Bag: Target similar rainbow bag here

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Happiness Is...

Charles Schultz once wrote that "happiness is a warm puppy". For anyone who loves dogs as much as I do, this quote clearly conveys the joy that our four-legged furry friends bring us. But I also think this quote can be interpreted to mean that it's the simple things in life that bring us the most pleasure. For example, something as simple as discovering a colorful wall or exploring a place, which is what I did the day these photos were taken, brings me a lot of happiness, albeit not as much happiness as my puppy William brings me.

What else brings me happiness? Well, the little details in my wardrobe bring me happiness. A great pair of earrings, for example, such as these blue ombre tassel earrings from the Happiness Boutique, definitely help me complete my look! The Happiness Boutique has a great selection of jewelry in both trendy and classic styles, including an amazing selection of earrings from which to choose. To top it off, the Happiness Boutique offers free shipping and has a great rewards program for repeat customers. I also received the cute pink boho earrings pictured above from them! As you can see, I am really loving the tassel trend! Luckily, the prices at the Happiness Boutique are very reasonable, so you don't have to feel guilty indulging in your jewelry obsession! Speaking of which, my readers can save 10% on orders over 19 Euros from now to December 2nd with code: hellokatiegirlblog, so please check them out!

One last thing that brings me happiness are polka dots, especially multi-colored polka dots! This polka dot dress from ASOS is super cute, although if you're on the taller side like myself, you might find it a bit short and consider wearing it as a shirt instead. Originally, I wanted to take these photos against the backdrop of the famous polka dot covered wall by The Most Famous Artist, which is located in the Arts District of Los Angeles. (If you haven't seen it, it pretty much looks exactly like my dress!) Unfortunately, the wall is no more, as not only is it blocked off but it is also completely painted over! That does not bring me happiness! But, in keeping with the theme of this post, I am going to focus on the positive rather than dwell on the negative, and this new wall and this outfit both bring me happiness!

Dress: ASOS here
Jacket: Old Navy here
Earrings: c/o The Happiness Boutique here
Sneakers: Walmart similar pink sneaker here
Bag: Coach similar pink bag here
Sunglasses: Celine here