Happy 4th of July Weekend!

July 5, 2013

Palos Verdes, CA

Every year, since I can remember really, I have spent the 4th of July on my parents boat in the Charles River, Boston.  With a group of friends from the marina, we raft aside about ten others to create a sort of long brigade of boats.  For people who have never been, I realize it might be kind of hard to picture so lets get down to basics: It quickly becomes a big floating party and we have amazing front row seats for THE BEST (that I've seen) fireworks display in the country. BAM!

That being said, this was my first year missing it! Tradition is big in my family, and I have to admit, not being with them yesterday was a little tough. However, I will be seeing them all in just a couple of days AND I got to spend the 4th at a gorgeous place in Palos Verdes.

Do any of you know this area? I had never been there before and truthfully I had no idea what kind of a treat I was in for.  Upon walking into Eric (my boyfriend) grandparents’ house, I embarrassingly yelled “ARE YOU KIDDING ME?!” His whole family could probably hear the ?! in my voice.  I have never seen such a beautiful view of the ocean.  As cheesy as this sounds, it looked like we were in heaven. It was honestly the kind of place where I imagine Oprah must have a home. In fact, I yelled that out at one point too, “Is Oprah your neighbor?!”

Anyways, it turned out to be a fantastic All-American 4th of July complete with BBQ chicken, wonderful people, pool time, cocktails, and Oprah-worthy views.

Hope you are all enjoying your 4th of July weekend! (GOD BLESS LONG WEEKENDS) 

Here's my patriotic look for the 4th of July!

Tank:   Forever21

Shorts: Urban Outfitters

Wine Wednesday!

June 28th, 2013

Malibu Wines, Malibu CA

A couple of weeks ago, one of my oldest and closest friends came to visit me from Boston.  Not only was it her first time in Los Angeles, but it was also her first time in California! (No pressure right?)  The whole trip was an absolute blast, I must say, but I think the both of us agreed that our Wednesday spent at Malibu Wines was probably the highlight.  

Now, I've been to several wineries up near Santa Barbara but I have actually never been to this quaint, much closer vineyard.  In fact, I'm shocked I didn't know about it.  One of the many perks of living in California are the gorgeous wineries, and I was quick to pick up wine-tasting as a hobby... a hobby I was eager to share with my east coast pal.  I'm pretty sure she's hooked now too! (this is my way of bribing my friends into visiting me more;)

There is just something about sipping wine during the day in a beautiful vineyard, while eating a wall of cheese, and listening bartenders throw around silly descriptor names like "chocolatey, biscuity, and clean", that just screams AMAZING!  Don't you agree? I personally love pretending to know what I'm talking about by throwing out this one phrase over and over: "Oh it has a great finish!"  I think I heard someone say that the first time I went to a tasting and it's been my go-to ever since.       

The thing about wine tasting is that although you are drinking alcohol all afternoon, it still appears to be quite classy. With that in mind, you want to dress accordingly. I wore this Forever21 dress that gives off that extra little air of sophistication (the kind I need in order to pull off my wine-tastng lingo with conviction) and paired it with some basic sandals (walking threw dirt in heals after a few glasses of wine is a challenge I decline, sir!)  I hope this outfit inspires new hobbies, sophistication, and a tall glass of wine this lovely July evening!

Dress: Forever21

Necklace: Target

Shoes: Forever21

Oh yea, and then I became a member. Oops!  Looks like I will be going back again soon.

Home Sweet Home

July 2, 2013

Outside my apt. Los Angeles, CA

I figured that it would be most fitting to have my first post be at (and in the alley way around) the building I live in.

Ok so, I live in one of those Old Hollywood apartments.  My boyfriend always says, "It's straight out of a Raymond Chandler novel" (He reads a lot).  Ya know the kind of building that hasn't really been renovated since it was built in the 1920's? That's it! I fell in love with this little place back in the fall when I moved in because of all its charm. It has an amazing built in vanity room, arched hallways, and an old refrigerator that now serves as a cupboard.  What's not to love?

Well, aside from the fact that the walls are so paper thin that my neighbors can probably hear the typing of my keyboard at this very moment, we are in the middle of a warm spell and these quaint little places have no air-conditioning... Oops! I kind of forgot about this, borderline necessity, when I was looking a places in the cooler part of the year.

Oh well.  We are making the most of it over here! After all, it's a perfect excuse for late night ice cold beverages and walks without jackets to our local air-conditioned eateries.  And this little fire escape, which also serves as my makeshift balcony, is where we like to hang out and read to get some cool fresh air.  There isn't any room for a grill, but it comes with a pretty amazing view of the neighborhood:)

 
Today, I put together this light and breezy outfit.  It's perfect for a warm summer night stroll or even just hanging out on whatever it is that serves as your balcony.

SKIRT: Forever2 1

BLOUSE: H&M

SHOES: MACY'S