Rainbow Tunnel...My Second Home?

After reading the title of this post, you might be under the impression that a rainbow tunnel is my second home. Well, while that might not be that far from the truth (I do spend a lot of time either dressed in rainbow prints or standing in front of very colorful murals!), the title actually comes from the name of an art installation called the Second Home Pavilion, which I recently visited this weekend.

Second Home is a series of rainbow tunnels (think of a big colorful tent!) that is located on the grounds of the La Brea Tar Pits in Los Angeles. It also serves as a space to feature public talks, movie screenings, and other events that are open to the public. I really like the slogan of Second Home, which is "come for the color, stay for the conversation!" I wonder if they would mind if I stole this slogan and used it as my tagline for my blog and Instagram account?

Of course, I had to find a way to perfectly match my wardrobe to the art, which is why I chose to wear my new rainbow pleated skirt from SheIn. The colors of the skirt evoke the exact same colors that are used in this exhibit! I would definitely recommend both this skirt (it's under $20 plus an extra 15% off with code: Q4katiegirl!) and visiting the Second Home art installation, as both are a great deal! The exhibit especially so because it's free! So, if you find yourself near what's known as the "Miracle Mile" or "Museum Row" in Los Angeles sometime before November 24, when the exhibit closes, definitely pop in for a visit and get a great colorful pic for Instagram or start a conversation about this amazing work of art!

Skirt: c/o SheIn here and save 15% with code: Q4katiegirl
Sweater: J. Crew here
Shoes: J. Crew similar silver pumps here
Bag: J. Crew similar lavender satchel here

A Lust for Lemons

I don't think I could count on one hand, or even two, how many posts I've done featuring lemon print items! Well, here's another one, this time in the form of a slightly abstract lemon print skirt. Since lemon prints are traditionally worn in the spring and summer months, I hesitated featuring this skirt now that it's officially fall but my love for lemons is strong, so I thought that, perhaps, lemons can transcend seasons. Why not?

Today was actually our first day here in L.A. that felt like it was fall; we had overcast skies and even some rain! Despite weather that looks like fall, the temperature is still somewhat warm and muggy (Yuck!). Because it was somewhat gloomy out, I thought that a little bit of yellow, bright green, and a pop of pink in the form of my bag would be perfect to brighten things up. I guess that just goes to show that when life (or the weather) gives you lemons, make lemonade or, in this case, wear a lemon skirt!

Skirt: c/o ChicWish here
Tee: H&M similar striped tee
Bag: Coach similar pink bag here
Shoes: J. Crew similar gold sandals here

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Louis Vuitton X

Attending the Louis Vuitton X Exhibit in Beverly Hills has been on my list of things to do since the end of summer. For whatever reason, various things prevented us from going during the last month, so I was very happy to finally get to go last weekend! The exhibit is equal parts retrospective on the company's 160 year long history, a store to purchase special Louis Vuitton items, and an Instagramer's paradise (just look at this epic pink staircase!), so there is definitely something for everyone!

I was actually glad that I waited to go because a recent blog post from Style Charades helped me make the most out of my visit to the Louis Vuitton X exhibit. One thing that blogger Jennifer Lake recommended was getting to the exhibit before it opened and, as soon as it opened, making a beeline to the aforementioned pink staircase if you want some clean shots without any other people in them. Well, I followed this advice to the letter and it paid off! My husband and I were second in line for the exhibit before they opened and I kept telling him "keep your eye on the prize and just head to the pink staircase!" (I know that it probably sounded insane!) Once the exhibit opened promptly at 11:00, we power walked through all of the other displays and arrived at the staircase before anyone else. We did indeed have about 10 minutes before anyone reached it, so we were able to get some pictures before it became quickly jammed with people.

After our mad dash to the staircase, we were then able to enjoy all the other things that the exhibit had to offer. One thing that I really enjoyed was looking at all of the celebrity dresses worn on the red carpet. After seeing these on TV and it photos, it was fun to examine the exquisite details of each dress in person. They also had a lot of other bags, scarves, and clothing on display from their archives, which was exciting to see all in one place!

Speaking of outfits, I wore my new Target Lilly Pulitzer jumpsuit to the exhibit, which I thought would perfectly complement the tropical palm trees that are featured on top of the pink staircase. It turned out to be a hit! In fact, one random man on the street tried to take my picture while I was waiting in line, which I guess I'll take as a compliment! While the jumpsuit might not be quite the same quality as one of Louis Vuitton's custom creations worn by Lady Gaga or Emma Stone, it was a small fraction of the price, so I can't really complain! My bag, however, was a Louis Vuitton, so I did have at least one piece that could be showcased at the exhibit!

Jumpsuit: Target x Lilly Pulitzer here
Shoes: J. Crew similar gold sandals here
Earrings: J. Crew similar here
Bag: Louis Vuitton here

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In Between Days

Now that fall is officially here, I am torn between the desire to start dressing for fall and the need to stay cool in the hot, Los Angeles weather, which normally lasts well into October. One way I have found to satisfy both needs in these "in between" days is finding clothing that is made of lightweight fabric but that also features a color palette that is appropriate for fall. This striped dress that I have been eyeing for months now and just recently purchased (and which is currently on sale, I might add!) fits the bill perfectly! Despite the fact that it has long sleeves, it kept me reasonably cool for the very hot and even muggy weather we have been experiencing here lately. A great plus is that it got me a few compliments along the way, too!

This dress arrived a couple weeks ago in the mail and I was waiting for the perfect opportunity to wear it. (In other words, the perfect wall to pair it with!) I have a favorite mural near where we were going for the day and I had my heart set on it as the ideal backdrop for my new dress.  Unfortunately, when we arrived at the location, the mural had been painted over with the visage of a rapper who had recently died. Not being one to be detoured by a wall that didn't work out, I found this graphic black and white wall just a bit down the street. While it wasn't my first choice, I like to think that I make the best out of what I have to work with, be it dealing with less than ideal weather conditions or walls that no longer exist!

Dress: J. Crew here
Bag: Mansur Gavriel here
Shoes: Christian Louboutin here
Earrings: J. Crew similar blue raffia earrings here

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Anthro Tag Sale Finds

I've been shopping at Anthropologie for a very, very long time now! When I first fell in love with the store, they very rarely had sales, so if you wanted something you were most likely going to pay full price. Now, it seems like they have sales on a fairly regular basis and then on top of the sales they offer an extra 20 to 40 percent off. I'm not sure if that speaks well of how they are doing as a company but as a consumer, I have to say that I love these sales! Last week, I placed an order with Anthropologie to take advantage of this sale and my order included this fun abstract skirt!

The way the skirt was styled on the Anthro website was with a vintage looking statement tee. While I didn't purchase the exact tee that the skirt was paired with on the website, I did find a tee that I already own from J. Crew that I think looks just as good, if not better! This tee is also supposed to look a little vintage, which, perhaps, gives the outfit a slight retro vibe. The tee also highlights different attractions in Italy, which reminds me of a trip I took there years ago in college. While I would have liked to have shot these pictures in Italy, sadly, that was not possible at the time, so I opted for a location that was decidedly less glamorous. Maybe one day I'll be able to go back to Italy and, if I do, this would definitely be the perfect tee to bring!

Skirt:Anthropologie here
Tee: J. Crew similar here
Shoes: J. Crew similar gold sandals here
Bag: Clare V.  here

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Rainbows x 2

In my opinion, you can never have too many rainbows! For this reason, I'm doubling down on rainbows with today's outfit that is comprised of a rainbow striped tee shirt dress and my trusty rainbow bag! I recently purchased this dress last week at J. Crew and I was very happy to have snagged it for a great price! While I know this is a summer dress and I should be featuring things for fall by now on my blog, it was over 100 degrees this weekend, so I think that should give me a pass! Also, there are a lot of great deals out there on summer clothing, so why not celebrate that before moving on to fall?

I debated whether or not to pair my dress with my rainbow bag or to take a subtler route (as if such a thing can exist with anything rainbow!) and opt for a yellow or pink bag. In the end, however, I figured why not go big or go home?  This rainbow bag, which I purchased during the summer, has quickly become one of my favorite bags because it always puts a smile on my face! So, if one rainbow item can do that, clearly two means double the smiles and double the happiness!

Dress: J. Crew here
and Rainbow Blazer here
Bag: Michael Kors here and similar here and here
Shoes: Old Navy similar here

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