Black and White

August 8, 2013 Kelly Donohue

August 8, 2013

An alley behind La Brea, Los Angeles, CA

Sometimes you have to stick to the classics.

On days where I have to attempt to look professional and “business like”- a hat I wear from time to time- I like to be able to do it while still maintaining a sense of my whimsical “I’ll never grow up” self.

This little black and white number allows me to do just that. It gives me just the right amount of confidence necessary to pull off a successful day! Who doesn’t love a little success in their life? (And best of all, I still feel like myself).

Another thing that is great about this dress is that because it’s black and white, it allows for a lot of freedom with accessories. I, however, chose to keep it pretty simple today, adding only a touch of blue with this costume necklace. It’s a perfect reminder that even though fall is just around the corner, we are still truly in the peak of summer and a pop of color keeps you feeling that sunshine.

Dress: Ruche

Necklace: H&M

Heels: Guess

Easy Breezy

August 5, 2013 Kelly Donohue

August 5, 2013

Santa Monica, CA

Oh hey- it’s Monday!

After a relaxing and or restlessly exciting summer weekend, I certainly know that it can be challenging to get back to the daily grind. It’s the day of the week that poolside happy hour is abruptly replaced with early morning coffee, traffic, and a computer screen with 15 windows open at once. BLAH!

All that being said, I must admit…I kind of like Mondays.

Whoa! Now, before you let your imagination run wild, I have to let you know that I’m certainly not a “morning person” or an “eager beaver” type. I tend to think of people who like Mondays as being like that Rachel Berry character on Glee. You know the type: the girl who wakes up with a smile, makes herself a full breakfast, paints her nails, and still eagerly arrives 20 minutes early for work? I am the polar opposite of that type. Arriving to work even 5 minutes early, with enough time to zap that instant oatmeal or smear peanut butter on a bagel is a major victory over here. So what’s my trick for getting going on Mondays? I remind myself (some weeks more often than others) that Monday is the START of a something new. It’s a day full of opportunity to start fresh, get back on that crazy diet, make those dolla dolla bills, and accomplish the world!

Now if that whole mentality sounds like a bunch of malarkey (HA! I love that word), then I find it always helps to reminisce about how great your weekend was and remind yourself that in just a few short days, you’ll be weekending all over again!

I spent most of my weekend down in Santa Monica in this perfectly summery Ruche maxi dress. It’s an effortlessly adorable piece that works for just about everything a casual beach weekend entails. We brunched at a new local organic spot on Montana, caught up with friends and family over a delicious steak dinner near the ocean, ate chocolate chip cookies, relaxed by the pool, and found a new piece for my kitchen from the local flea-market on Melrose.

Yup! The reminiscing thing totally works!

So go ahead, tell your boss how fantastic your weekend was, mark the countdown on your desktop calendar till Friday, or simply remind yourself of each great thing you want to achieve this week. Whatever it is that temporarily gives you that Rachel-Berry-on-Monday-morning enthusiasm…do it!

Dress: Ruche

Sandals: Some shop on Melrose

Ring: H&M (Similar)

Social Butterflies

August 2, 2013 Kelly Donohue

August 2, 2013

Greystone Mansion & Park, Beverly Hills, CA

Owned by the city of Beverly Hills, this historic landmark, rich with history, and now widely used as a backdrop for a whole bunch of highly recognizable films and TV shows, it’s likely that you’ve seen this property (in some shape or form) before. That being said, though I am certain I have passed by this area almost daily, for the past 2 years, I never even knew it existed! I think it’s kept as a bit of a secret gem around this town, but it’s definitely well worth exploring.

With gorgeous views of the entire city, turtle ponds, beautiful gardens, and fountains, the landscape alone, is breathtaking. The mansion, which we were unable to explore today, must be something entirely stunning of its own. It’s honestly bizarre for me to imagine that this property was built for a single family of four in the twenties. All I can say, is that those kids must’ve had some pretty amazing games of hide and seek. I guess that’s what being an oil and gold tycoon will get ya!

Next time you’re in the Beverly Hills area, take a little detour, and check out this fascinating place. I’m oh so glad that my girlfriends and I decided to do just that on our way to lunch on this warm summer afternoon!

I am so excited that my beautiful pal, Sheena Graves, was able to join me today on the blog. She is a dear friend and MODEL so I figured I would bribe her into posing with me on the way to lunch. Almost all of the clothing and handmade jewelry that we have on today is by Michelle Roy of Social Butterflies. If you haven’t heard of this company before, you should definitely check it out! I love her classically girly pieces (featured here) but she definitely has some edgier/trendy pieces as well.