Marimekko Inspired

 

One of my favorite designers for gorgeous prints is Marimekko!  I just love their fun prints and their collaborations with brands like Target and Uniqlo! Well, this floral skirt is not from Marimekko or one of their collabs, but it does feature a print that I think could be easily mistaken as a Marimekko creation. The great thing about this skirt is that it's under $20 and the print also comes in a dress version and shirtdress version! (If you follow me on Instagram, you will notice that I purchased the shirtdress too!)

 

The things that I love about this skirt are the fun, slightly abstract print and the fun colors! I think these vibrant orange and pink colors are perfect for summer! To play up these colors, I paired it with a tangerine ruffle top and some pink accessories. This is certainly a skirt that I will be reaching for all summer long!

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Skirt: SheIn here

Tee: Zara similar ruffle tee here

Shoes: c/o Hush Puppies here

Bag: Chanel

 

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Floral Blazer

 

This stunning floral blazer is part of an outfit I wore in the weeks leading up to Valentine's Day this year.  I purchased this blazer from Forever 21 and I wasn't sure about the fit and the quality, due to the fact that it was under $50. Luckily, when the blazer arrived in the mail, it was love at first sight! (So perfect for Valentine's Day, right?) For what I paid for the blazer, it was a hit in my book! I love that it looks quite reminiscent of something you might see from Dolce & Gabbana or Alice + Olivia. While you would probably know that it's not expensive when picking it up and inspecting it closely, it definitely has an expensive look, especially when paired with the right accessories, like a cashmere sweater and an iconic quilted purple bag!

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The only thing that I love more than this blazer is this cute location that I discovered near Downtown Los Angeles! We took these photos at a cute pink coffee shop called Boulon. This coffee shop has a fun floral mural and hot pink phone booth, both of which I adore! Sadly, we were running late for lunch and didn't have the opportunity to go inside and try one of their amazing (and, from what I have seen, colorful) drinks, but I will definitely be back for the cute photos and a cute drink sometime in the near future!

 

Blazer: Forever 21 here

Sweater: Macy's similar purple sweater

Pants: Zara similar wide leg pink pants here and here

Shoes: Christian Louboutin similar nude pumps here

Bag: Chanel similar quilted purple bag

 

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Party Polka Dots

 

I love a good polka dot print, especially when the polka dots are in rainbow confetti! This pink multi-color polka dot top is definitely like a party in a top! It's also a great deal at under $10, and this top comes in a variety of colors, making it all the more appealing! I dare you to wear this top and not have a smile on your face! As you can see, it pairs with just about anything, due to all of the colors. I decided to go with mint pants, but it really could go with just about any color you'd want!

 

Going with the concept of more is more, I decided to use this colorful mural as the backdrop for this post.

This mural always makes me feel like I've stepped inside of some cartoon or comic book, which I thought would be a perfect concept to go with this colorful look! Color on color on more color is always a winning combination! While I want to start thinking about fall colors (there will be time for that soon enough), right now I'm still enjoying celebrating the colors of summer!

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Top: SheIn here

Pants: J. Crew similar mint pants here

Shoes: similar purple suede shoes here

Bag: Louis Vuitton similar yellow bag here

 

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Back to Basics

 

It's hard to believe it, but summer vacation is officially over for me and so it's back to school! It's also back to basics, as I'm looking for basic pieces that can transition my summer wardrobe into a work wardrobe that's appropriate for teaching. The photos of me in this green and pink floral top are actually from spring, but I'm just getting around to posting them now! The shirt, which is under $10, is still available! In fact, it's available in several different color combinations, including a yellow and purple version that I just purchased! Because it's such an affordable top, having it in multiple colors is a no-brainer! I hope to pair it with some more dressy pants and possibly a blazer once the weather here gets cooler.

 

Unlike this top, one thing that is definitely not a basic that I would not wear everyday are these suede bow sandals! Don't get me wrong—I adore them, but they are actually very high and, for whatever reason, are a bit difficult to walk in. At work, flats are my preferred choice of footwear; however, I love being able to wear fun heels on the weekend or after school when I can.

 

Top: SheIn here

Jeans: J. Crew Factory similar high rise jeans here

Shoes: J. Crew similar bow sandals here

Bag: Mansur Gavriel similar pink bag here

Belt: Brooks Brothers similar light pink belt here

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Colorblock Seersucker

 

Seersucker is always a fabric that goes hand in hand with summer! This season, the trend seems to be colorblocking with seersucker, which I love because the more color the better! I recently purchased this colorblock seersucker dress from Shein. I love this dress because it's super cute with the bell-shaped sleeves and the pastel colors. To be honest, the fabric isn't seersucker material, but it has the look of seersucker and for under $15 I was happy with my purchase. Below you will find some similar colorblock seersucker and pinstripe dress options at a variety of price points that I also love for summer!

 

I got a lot of compliments on this dress, including many people who were surprised that I was able to perfectly match my shoes to the dress. Many people, my husband included, thought that I purchased the shoes with the dress. However, in actuality, the shoes are from J. Crew and were purchased at least a few years ago. I guess J. Crew was on this whole seersucker colorblocking trend before anyone else! Speaking of things that match, how cute is the bike with the flowers that I found while we were out at lunch? We had already had lunch and I thought that I was done photographing this dress when I came across this bike in front of a coffee shop. It perfectly matched my dress (and shoes), so I snapped a few photos with it and decided to mix them in with this post!

 

Dress: Shein here

Shoes: J .Crew similar here and here

Bag: Chanel similar light pink bag here

 

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Shirt+Top=Dress

 

I bought this fun striped skirt a few weeks ago from Target. I originally paired the skirt with a solid tee shirt and a panama hat for a recent trip to Temecula's wine country. (If you follow me on Instagram, I posted this version of the look there.) Well, I loved the skirt so much taht I decided to get the matching blouse shortly after wearing the skirt for the first time. As you can see here, I'm pairing the blouse with the skirt to create an outfit that essentially looks like a dress. The thing I like about this is that the pattern really makes a much bigger statement when you pair the two pieces together, but then you also have the option to wear them as separate pieces!

 

For accessories, I thought the obvious choice was to go with an orange tote bag to bring out all of the fun, warm colors in the print. I also opted for a pair of natural sandals, which are a little hard to see because the grass in front of this Victorian house was a little high when we took these pictures, but, believe me, they are very cute and you can probably just see the bows peaking out, which make them extra cute!

 

Top: Target here

Dress: Target here

Shoes: Draper James here

Bag: Prada similar orange tote bag here

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Floral Spring Dress

 

This pretty, pink floral dress is what I wore last Sunday for Easter. In my opinion, this makes for the perfect Easter dress! However, because Easter has passed, I'm just going to say that it's the perfect spring dress! One of the things I like about the dress is the pretty, pink floral print. I also love the puffy sleeves and the silhouette of the dress. Actually, the sleeves were something that reviewers online seemed not to like, which almost persuaded me not to purchase the dress. However, when the dress arrived in the mail, I really liked how the sleeves looked! I guess that just goes to show that you can't always trust reviews, or, maybe, it just goes shows that I like clothing that is a little more on the dramatic side!

 

I accessorized my dress with a pale pink bag and these bright green suede pumps. To be honest, I actually swapped out these suede green pumps for a pair of pink gingham sneakers so that I was more comfortable cooking and participating in the Easter egg hunt!

 

Dress: Kohl's here

Bag: Mansur Gavriel similar pale pink bag

Shoes: J. Crew similar suede pumps and here

Sunglasses: Celine similar white sunglasses here

 

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