Ending on a High Note

It's almost time to put the year 2014 to bed and welcome in the New Year. I'd like to take some of the mystique and mystery out of my blog and just state for the record that this is not what I am wearing for New Year's Eve, it was actually worn by me for Christmas Eve lunch. I'll be spending this New Year's Eve as I always do: curled up on the couch with my husband and my dog, William, munching on homemade appetizers and sipping Champagne. (It's really not a bad way to spend the evening!) I'm definitely not one for going out on the town, although it would be fun to dress up in something lavish.  So I'll just leave you with this, my last outfit of 2014, to end on a high note as opposed to what I'll really be wearing: sweatpants and a T-shirt!

I was also a little "on the fence" about where to take these pictures and how to wear my hair. (Up or down? Oh, it's so nice being on vacation where that is my biggest concern!) So I am including a different backdrop to my final post of the year just for good measure. To reiterate what I wrote in my last post, being more decisive is one thing I could work on for the New Year!

Linking Up With: Shopping My Closet

Skirt: Nordstrom/Halogen similar here
Sweater: J. Crew Factory Sequin Bow Cardigan
Belt: kate spade similar here
Shoes: J. Crew Valentina Mirror Pumps
Bag: Chanel "Cerf" Tote
Necklace: Groopdealz 
Sunglasses: Prada "Baroque"

Indecisive

I can be pretty indecisive...well...about somethings...well...maybe about a lot of things. (Perhaps this is the making of a New Year's resolution?) Take the outfit I am wearing below, for example. It was hard to figure out, with such a pretty dress layered in so much color, such as this "Rosado" sheath from Anthropologie, which colors to pair it with. I decided on a mustard-colored sweater because purple/blue and yellow, as we all know from the color wheel from our elementary art classes, pair so well together. Then there was the decision of should I wear tights or not? Luckily, I opted to go without tights because it turns out the weather here in Los Angeles is pretty indecisive as well. Last week we had a couple days in the high 70s (now it's chilly), so this sweater, let alone tights and boots, was more than I could bear.

It's a good thing that this dress is pretty versatile for an indecisive person like myself, living in an indecisive and unpredictable climate. That's one of the things that I am starting to love about dresses: you can really dress them up or down or wear them for different seasons if you get your styling right. At least I can make my mind up about that!

As you will see below, the background for this post was another thing I couldn't decide upon. After taking some pictures in a back alley that I like to refer to as "the secret spot" (no one goes there, so it's very isolated), I came across this yellow door next to one of our favorite restaurants. I thought it might look cool with my dress, hence the two backgrounds you see before you!

Linking Up With: Passion for Fashion

Dress: Anthropologie "Rosado" Sheath here

Sweater: J. Crew (old)

Shoes: J. Crew "Valentina" in Mirror Metallic Pumps here , similar here

Bag: Louis Vuitton Epi Speedy in "Granade"

Necklace: Banana Republic here
Sunglasses: Prada 

Layers of Whimsy

Who says that you can't buy a little gift for yourself every once in a while? I bought this Larksong corduroy dress from Anthropologie during the madness of Black Friday shopping this year as  somewhat of an early Christmas gift to me, from me! I'm glad I did, because it's now sold out from Anthro's website.

My intention was that this dress could function both as a holiday party dress and also if layered correctly, something work appropriate for the season. The sales associate at Anthropologie shuttered at the idea of me covering up the sequined sleeves with a cardigan, but that's exactly what I did last week so that I could wear it to work. I layered a shawl-wrap sweater and belt over the dress and paired it with boots and tights for a cozy, whimsical layered look and unveiled the sequin surprise underneath only for these blog photos!

Linking Up With: Style Elixir

Dress: Anthropologie Larksong Corduroy here

Sweater: Anthropologie (old)  similar here

Boots: J. Crew

Belts: Brooks Brothers here

Clutch: Lauren Merkin similar here

Tights: Vera Wang

Sunglasses: Prada

Merry Christmas from the Mission Inn

Just like Santa, I too have a list, but unlike Santa, my list details all of the places I would love to travel in the Southern California area and beyond. The time off for winter break provides me with the perfect opportunity to cross some of those things off my list, including this week's trip to see the Festival of Lights at the Mission Inn in Riverside, California.

I had to wear another holiday inspired outfit to the Mission Inn. How can one resist? So I promise this is the last post of me in plaid, standing next to a Christmas tree! Can I promise no more plaid for the New Year? That has yet to be determined, but my guess would be no.

The Mission Inn is a historic hotel that also features a spa and an array of restaurants. We had drinks and appetizers in the Presidential Lounge, which is aptly named because the hotel has hosted no less than ten presidents from Benjamin Harrison to George W. Bush, including McKinley, Theodore Roosevelt, Taft and JFK. Richard and Pat Nixon were married there and Ronald and Nancy Regan honeymooned there.

In addition to featuring a variety of restaurants and hosting a variety of presidents and celebrities, the Mission Inn also combines architectural styles. Although it is mostly Mission Revival, the hotel also contains Moorish and Gothic elements. Below are glimpses of the exterior of the Inn, which, despite its different architectural influences, comes together as a beautiful, cohesive whole. 

As I mentioned, my purpose for visiting the Mission Inn on this occasion was not just to marvel at the architecture, but to see the lights that can be admired once the sun goes down. The lights truly make for a spectacular sights, but be prepared to brave the crowds!

Merry Christmas from Southern California, which is one of the only places that you'll find more palm trees decorated for Christmas than pine trees!

So Much Plaid, So Little Time!

You can wear plaid all year round depending on the fabric and the color, but bright red wool plaid with green accents like the one featured on my blazer today screams "Christmas!" so the window for wearing it is small. I have a lot plaid, a lot of red and green plaid in particular, so I've been trying to fit it all in this week, which has created somewhat of a plaid-a-palooza.

Let me just say briefly that I love Smythe, the designer of this blazer. The fit of their jackets is amazing, although they do run small. They are also designed and made in Canada, which is something that I love to support. I've become somewhat of a collector of their blazers over the years, but this one is by far my favorite.

Getting back to my cramming in all of the plaid that one could possibly stand into the course of a week, if you can stand it, I have one more plaid ensemble up my sleeve for Christmas and then I promise to refrain from donning the pattern for a little while! Plaid is sort of like an addiction; it's hard to resit its classic charm.

Linking Up With:

Confident Tuesday, Trend Spin

Blazer: Smythe similar here

Shirt: Ann Taylor similar here

Pants: J. Crew "Dannie"

Shoes: Christian Louboutin "Simple" pumps  here

Bag: Chanel "Cerf" tote

Watch: Breguet
Ring: Tiffany 

Sunglasses: Prada