Bienvenido a Miami

I'll be posting classic business outfits from this trip shortly. I expected to be relegated to a conference room for most of the trip which prompted me to pack every pencil skirt I own (only 3) and of course, one brightly-colored running outfit (totes wore it twice). Running on the beach is addicting.

Pastel pop

Something destroyed my recently acquired ability to dress responsibly. Note to self (and all of you): It is probably cold in San Francisco today and every day for the foreseeable future. Hashtag, bringyourjacket.

Cold weather or not, I really admire a skirt with such versatility. You can effortlessly dress it up, but I find pairing ultra-femme pieces with more masculine ones to be ironic in the right way. 

It is said (mostly by me) that a quality statement necklace is a great distraction for fussy babies who enjoy humiliating you in public. It also goes miles to add texture and vivacity to a drab ensemble and make you feel like the put-together rockstar you are. Treat yo self.

Thanks for reading! Shout out to Tracy Bennet for reading each post in this blog! 

Skirt: Tramp (similar one on sale here!); tank and jewelry: J.Crew (bubble necklace here); shoes: ShoeMint; sunnies: RayBan.

In dem jeans

Rose-colored jeans were the last thing on my wish list when I strolled into Blue Jeans Bar during a recent trip to The Marina. Truth be told, I only ended up at BJB because my husband has a penchant for colorful socks and disappeared. As I walked inside to search for him, my eyes became fixated on a vibrant pair of dusty rose jeans and I knew it was time to play 'dress up'. 

While 'dress up' went well, there was one issue which prevented my denim affair from materializing: The jeans were like a corset on my thighs. "Those look fantastic!" said the owner of Henry and Belle, nodding approvingly from the middle of the store. He continued, "That is exactly the way I intended them to look." (note: These jeans were so tight, you could squint and see my ovaries.) Regardless, I wasn't going to argue with the owner! Sold. (hashtag, vain) 

Although I can only wear these jeans after seven days of consuming Lauren Conrad's skinny jeans smoothies, when paired with a retro-inspired locally made sweater layered over a chambray shirt, it's a lovely go-to ensamble for chilly Northern California weather. 

Sweater: Marine Layer; Button down: Jack (circa 2011. Similar steal); Jeans: Henry & Belle (more colors here); boots: Tory Burch (sold out); jewelry: Stella & Dot, Urban Outfitters

Lumber Jill

This flannel was originally my husband's. I shrank it in the dryer. While mostly unintentional, I now have a lovely plaid button down to pair with a bitchin' leather jacket. You see, dear reader, I attended the prestigious Northern Arizona University (aka "Harvard of the West," aka "Land of Hippies and the Forefathers of Flannel.") My fellow classmates intentionally wore plant-based tie dye shirts and, god forbid, chacos. I still have nightmares.  One thing they got right, however, was the application of flannel. It is a wonderfully soft, versatile material and is readily found in high fashion or your local thrift shop.  

Flannel: Uniqlo Men (similar here), Jacket: somewhere in Spain; Sanctuary Skinny Ponte Pants, Bag: Kate Spade (similar here in pink!) ; Cuff: random Stitch Fix keeper (click to sign up); Necklace: vintage; Sunnies: RayBan

Peep game, come take a look through my telescope...

I love California; it's January and signs of spring are popping up everywhere. Spring is my 2nd favorite season and gets me excited about two things: I can run outside without fear of frostbite AND I get to watch designers, stylists and media darlings begin their promotional tours for the imminent Fashion Week.

For us mortals who are too busy, budget conscious or aviophobic (had to google that one!) to jet off to NYC in February for Mercedes Benz Fashion Week, we can salivate over some tech-savvy designer's YouTube videos from the comfort of our overpriced apartments.

This isn't the first time we've seen luxe designers hop aboard the online video train. Coach has been onboard for awhile, teaming up with popular personalities and artists. Both Michelle Phan and Karmin collaborated with Coach to create swoon-worthy marketing (which was lightly disguised as entertainment).

My favorite?


                                       Hashtag, Armparty. 


Obvi, since I work in the online video space in Silicon Valley, I'm totes a sucker for mainstream, well-respected fashion houses that adopt online videos as a marketing strategy. What celebrity (or favorite blogger?!) would you like to see promote Rebecca Minkoff's new baubles?

If you want to destroy my sweater

J.Crew wants my husband to divorce me. They've marked down all their sale items an additional 30%. Technically, I can't afford not to buy this soft gingham shirt that perfectly complements a J.Crew sweater The Mister got me for Christmas. Side note: I also happened to purchase a basic madras shirt for him. This way he can't be mad. That's the way the world works.

Generally, I don't adore sweaters, but this one was hand knit, soft and it made me have feelings I've never had for a sweater before. I'm not exactly predictable.

 Paired with red pumps and boyfriend jeans, this outfit has just the right amount of edge for me to feel like I didn't change a diaper five minutes before the pictures were taken. 

Gingham Thomas Mason "Perfect Shirt", sweater (similar here) and mid-heel pumps (similar here): J.Crew. Distressed boyfriend jeans: Banana Republic (really old) (Similar dream jeans here) Necklace: My great-grandma's (really, really old). Braceletes: J.Crew and Tiffany's. Sunnies: RayBan. 

Carpe Diem

For whatever reason, starting a personal style blog has both intimidated and fascinated me for half a decade. Looking back, I was likely hindered by an embarrassing cocktail of fear, jealousy and weekly excuses. Then I stumbled upon this:

 Hashtag, duh.  Hashtag, carpediem.

So here it is. My New Year's resolution is to share musings on fashion, food and all things bliss for the world (or, more likely, a few people) to peruse. Enjoy!