Tropical, Even Though It's Fall

 

They say that social media makes people envious of what they don't have, which, I think, is more or less true, depending on how much you let it get to you. I have to say, I have been very envious lately of a lot of people on social media but I guess you can say that it's more of a "seasonal" envy. You see, Instagram is filled with people apple picking in sweaters or romping through leaves donning heavy coats. Here in Los Angeles, it was over 100 degrees last week, which makes such things impossible. Now that it's October, I am really ready to experience some cooler fall weather! Fall weather here in Southern California usually fully kicks in when December comes, so I will have to put up with the heat here for a little while longer, which is why I am in a tropical print sleeveless blouse for today's post. In my defense, I think the black background on the print makes it a little bit more fall appropriate!

 

 

I guess you could also say that the grass is always greener on the other side because I know plenty of people who would kill to be able to have warm weather and no snow during the winter months. As someone who grew up on the East Coast, I do miss the differentiated seasons but, at the same time, I think I would also miss the mild temperatures here on the West Coast. Clearly, there are pros and cons no matter how you look at the situation. I guess one positive regarding our warm temperatures is that you wouldn't be able to wear cute pink mules like this in the middle of a rainy fall season or a winter snow storm! Now that I think about it, I guess I really don't have that much to complain about!

 

 

Top: J. Crew here

Jeans: Old Navy similar here

Shoes: J. Crew here

Bag: Clare V. here

Sunglasses: Prada

 

Shop the Post

 

 

Out, Damned Spot!

I wore this spotted slip skirt to work last week and, as luck would have it, I ended up getting some soapy water on the skirt, which left a stain on the fabric! While at work, I Googled ways to get water stains out of fabric and it turns out, quite ironically, the best way to get a water stain out is with more water. Well, I got much of the spot out but not all of it. Luckily, since the skirt is literally covered in spots, it's kind of hard to notice, so all was not lost.

I decided to pair this skirt with lots of color, although it would look beautiful with neutrals too. I think pink always looks fabulous with animal prints, so, of course, I reached for these pink satin bow flats, which I am easily convinced were my best and most used purchase this year! I also decided to go with a rainbow clutch, which isn't the most practical bag but it sure does look pretty! Finally, to top it off, I added this leather moto jacket to give an edgy look to the outfit. I am really not a very edgy person but at least I can feel like it for a little bit by wearing this jacket!

Skirt: J. Crew here
Jacket: Zara similar moto jacket
Sweater: J. Crew similar here
Shoes: J. Crew here
Bag: Milly similar rainbow clutch here

Shop the Post

Polka Dot Jumpsuit

There was a time when I thought jumpsuits were a trend and I wouldn't be caught dead in one but I've gradually warmed to the idea of wearing them. About a year ago, I bought my first jumpsuit and I was instantly hooked! Clearly, the jumpsuit trend is still going strong and now I have quite the growing collection of them! I will have to say that some of my jumpsuits are not all that practical. What I mean is that they are a bit hard to get into and, perhaps more importantly, are also a bit hard to get off by youself, which can be problematic when going to the bathroom! This polka dot jumpsuit from Old Navy, however, is the exception. It's super comfy and practical, which is why I have three of them in different patterns!

I honestly think that every woman should have a polka dot jumpsuit in their wardrobe! Below, you will see my links to some cute polka dot jumpsuit options for spring. These polka dot jumpsuits are truly versatile and can be dressed up or down. Here, I'm wearing mine as a blank slate to showcase some fun accessories such as my Kate Spade taxi flats and rainbow clutch.

Jumpsuit: Old Navy here
Shoes: Kate Spade here
Clutch: Milly here, budget version here

Shop the Post

Dots, Rainbows and...Rhinos?

Sometimes you find really cool things in unexpected places and you just have to make sure you keep your eyes peeled! Take, for example, this dot shirt dress that's actually from Target but that looks like it's from someplace like J. Crew. This rainbow clutch is another great find from Target, although it looks just like a bag I was thinking about getting from Ferragamo that was way more expensive! Both pieces definitely look more like designer pieces but I was lucky to have found them at Target. It's a good thing that I spend so much time shopping at Target, even if I should be shopping there for essentials and food as opposed to clothing!

Another example of finding something in an unexpected place is this fun mural that I stumbled upon while driving down Route 66 one day. I saw it out of the corner of my eye when we happened to be in this area, one that's definitely not known for its murals and walls in the way that West Hollywood or Venice is. If you look closely, you'll see that this conglomeration of licence plates actually makes up a huge rhino! I'm glad I spotted it because it's pretty cool, in my opinion, not to mention that it's a great backdrop for this spotted and rainbow outfit!

Dress: Target here
Cardigan: J. Crew similar pink sweater here
Clutch: Target here
Shoes: J. Crew similar gold sandals here

Shop the Post

Polka Dots With a Twist

I have a lot of polka dot skirts but I love this midi length one from SheIn, so I had to add it to my collection! While I have more than a few polka dot themed items, I like how this particular skirt has tiny scattered dots and buttons running down the length of the skirt, so I suppose it's a little bit different than the polka dot skirts I already own. I guess you could say SheIn put their own "twist" on the classic polka dot skirt!

Speaking of putting a twist on things, I'm finally getting around to wearing this statement tee from J. Crew. This past summer, I loved all of the statement tees from J. Crew, such as this one with cocktail or drink themed statements like "Over Ice" or "With a Twist". The one I am wearing today that states "With a Twist" is now drastically reduced, so you can get it and save it for next summer or, if you have hot weather like what we are experiencing here in Los Angeles you can wear it now! I feel like I really should have worn this tee with a cocktail in my hand but I guess a fun rainbow clutch will have to do!

Skirt: c/o Shein here
Tee: J. Crew here
Sneakers: Old Navy here
Clutch: Milly similar here
Sunglasses: Celine

Shop the Post

Happy in Houndstooth

Lately, I've been giving a lot of love to all of my plaid print items in anticipation of Christmas and, although I do adore plaid, I think one of my favorite patterns of all time is houndstooth! Houndstooth is a great pattern because it's classic but it's also modern as well, because it's a graphic; it's the best of both worlds! I have a lot of houndstooth items, ranging from shoes to skirts to blazers, but the one thing that was missing from my houndstooth collection was a coat! That's why I was so happy to find this houndstooth coat from SheIn, which was also a great deal at only $35! Currently, my coat is sold out, but SheIn has an equally fantastic houndstooth coat here that's even less at only $22!

Luckily, this coat arrived just in time for the "cooler" weather here in Los Angeles. Originally, I was thinking of doing an outfit featuring this coat with all black and white, which would be abnormal for me since I adore color so much. Well, I couldn't quite do the all black and white thing, so I added a few pops of colors in the form of my Kate Spade taxi cab flat shoes, rainbow clutch, and pink sunglasses. All of these accessories really pop against the black and white of the houndstooth, which just another reason why I adore this print so much, because it's so versatile!

Jacket: c/o SheIn similar houndstooth jacket here
Sweater: Zara similar jeweled collar sweater here and here
Jeans: J. Crew
Clutch: Milly similar rainbow clutch here
Shoes: Kate Spade Taxi Flat here, here and here
Sunglasses: Alice and Olivia here

Goodies at my Doorstep

I saw someone on Instagram with a door mat that pretty much summed up my week! It simply states: "Please Hide Packages From Husband". Yes, I definitely need one of those at home, especially around this time of year! You see, all of the things that I ordered the week of Black Friday came flooding in at the same time! Despite that fact that most items in each package were scored for around $30, that didn't quite assuage the fears of my husband as he witnessed the heaping mountain of packages (I am exaggerating for dramatic effect...a little, anyway) that the UPS, FedEx, DHL, and USPS men left over the course of the last few days!

A few of items that were left at my doorstep as of late include these goodies from J. Crew, namely my elephant print skirt, pom pom necklace, and velvet slingbacks. Not only was everything I ordered only around that $30 price range that I just mentioned, but all of the individual pieces seemed to match just perfectly! I hadn't planned on that! So I decided to throw my Thanksgiving sale finds together into this one look. I think this just goes to show that good things can come not only in small packages, but also many packages, much to the chagrin of husbands everywhere!

Skirt: J.Crew Ratti elephant skirt here and here
Sweater: Forever 21 similar here
Bag: Vince Camuto
Shoes: J. Crew velvet slingbacks here
Necklace: J.Crew Pom Pom necklace here
Sunglasses: Prada here