All Day Fraise!

 

I'm sure you've all heard the expression "All Day Rosé" but I'm here to coin a new expression: "All Day Fraise"! This cute strawberry tee shirt from LOFT has Fraise, the French word for "strawberry" on it, so my new expression would mean something like "Strawberries All Day"! To be honest, I don't speak much French, but I have learned some French through the various articles of clothing I have purchased with French words on them. I guess you could say that this tee is not only really cute but is also educational, at least if you want to learn French!

 

I think pairing cute fruit prints with gingham skirts is one of my new favorite combinations for spring! You might recall that a couple weeks ago I featured a cherry print sweater with a maxi length gingham skirt. I decided that I would replicate this formula with this strawberry tee shirt and a different gingham skirt. As you can see, not only do I have a lot of clothing with French words and phrases but I also have a lot of gingham skirts!

 

Tee: LOFT here

Skirt: J.Crew Factory similar here, here and here

Shoes: Target similar red sandals here

Sunglasses: YSL budget friendly version here

Bag: Zara

 

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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)

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What Day of the Week Is It?

Like many of you, I'm at the point in my quarantine life where I have only a vague sense of what day it is. While I still have to keep track of assignments, meetings, etc. for work, the days sort of just blur together in a way that feels very foreign to anything that I have ever experienced before. Speaking of things that are foreign, or at least in a foreign language, how cute is this tee that features the day of the week in French? I actually had no idea what the words on the tee meant until I read the description on the website but, to be honest, the days of the week might as well be in a foreign language to me at this point!

I wore this outfit for a stroll, which has now become an at least daily ritual. About once a week, however, my husband and I, myself being dressed up, take a walk sans our dog, William, because he can be a little crazy when we stop and take too many pictures for too long of a time! While I'm not always as happy with the results as I might be if I had the luxury of going into the city to be photographed against a cool backdrop or a colorful wall, I'm starting to become less picky, which might, in the long run, be a good thing! (I also now know where all the bougainvillea is!) For this stroll, I paired my tee with a cute, orange skirt and summery knotted headband. It's not the normal thing I would wear to take a stroll but it felt nice to get somewhat dressed up for a little while and it was a nice distraction from whatever I was doing on whatever day it was!

Tee: J. Crew here
Skirt: SheIn similar orange skirt here
Shoes: J. Crew similar silver flats here
Headband: J. Crew Factory here
Sunglasses: Celine

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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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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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A Skirt for All Seasons

Summer is rapidly approaching and with that comes certain shifts in one's wardrobe. It's nice, though, to find pieces such as this art deco print skirt that transcend seasons and can really be worn all year round. In fact, this versatility is one of the first things that drew me to the skirt, although the real selling point was, obviously, the amazing print! It's colorful, modern and classic, which is a combination that's right up my alley!

Since the weather here has been a touch on the cooler side, I'm wearing it with a light pink sweater and some leopard accents in the form of my clutch and shoes. As we move into some warmer months, I will look forward to trying out the skirt with a sleeveless top or a statement tee. Flashing forward to fall and winter, I can also see this same skirt paired with a heavy sweater and tights. I suppose, however, that I should probably just take it one season at a time! For now, I think I'm pretty content to just focus on the upcoming lazy months of summer!

Skirt: J. Crew here
Sweater: J. Crew here
Shoes: J. Crew similar leopard pumps here
Bag: Clare V.

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Two Way Tuesday: Statement Tees

If there's one trend that I have really latched on to, it's the statement tee trend! In fact, I don't know what I would do without them! Apparently, I'm not alone in my love and adoration for statement tees because I posted a pic of this outfit on Instagram today and expressed sentiments similar to the ones mentioned above and many people were in agreement with me regarding their obsession with the statement tee! So for this installment of "Two Way Tuesday" I am showing two different statement tees and how I've styled them, starting with this "Sul mare a Capri" tee.

I think this particular statement tee goes to illustrate a couple of things. First, many of the statement tees in my collection contain sayings in foreign languages. I try my best to translate what these tees say but, to be honest, it's usually the color scheme or graphic rather than the words that makes the tee so appealing. Second, both this look and the next one illustrate that nothing pairs better with a statement tee than a cute graphic skirt! Statement tees are a good way to dress down a skirt and make it more casual and fun!

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My next statement tee has no cute images or graphics but it does list some of my favorite places along the coast of California! I love that many statement tees evoke a laid back vacation vibe, which is definitely where my mindset is at with only a couple weeks left in the school year! This particular tee lists not only places that I am very familiar with but also places that I just might have to visit again during summer vacation!

Once again, I've paired this statement tee with a fun printed skirt. Here I'm pairing my coastal tee with a floral skirt, which is currently on sale at J. Crew. I love all of the colorful flowers in the skirt's print, which creates endless styling possibilities just like how this tee inspires one with the endless possibilities of where one might vacation this summer!

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