Kick Back... It's Labor Day!

September 2, 2013 Kelly Donohue

September 2, 2013

West Hollywood, CA

First off, Happy Labor Day! I hope that you have been enjoying this long lovely weekend and that you are soaking up the last bits of summer.

I’m definitely in denial about the fact that my favorite time of year is quickly coming to a halt. However, here in Los Angeles, it feels like we are in the peak of summer. The weather has been warmer than it has been ALL YEAR! I am capitalizing that because it’s pretty serious (I might melt away over here) and I want that to come across loud and clear. Sometimes I exaggerate…well, exaggerating is a strong word. Embellish would be more accurate. Sometimes I’ll say something like “that plane ride was INSANE! We literally almost crashed!”….when in actuality there were probably just a few bumps at take-off. But… I have to say, this tidbit is 100% free from exaggeration. I slept with ice packs on my face last night… seriously. I actually woke up by taking a cold shower and it was AMAZING. On a walk to get frozen yogurt yesterday, my friend and I walked into 3 air-conditioned stores along the way just to cool off. That’s the level of heat I’m talking about here. Now, I’m sure it doesn’t help that I don’t have a/c in my apartment, which is by the way not a great idea if you plan on living in Southern California, but that’s besides the point… the point is - it’s hot in LA. Very hot. Muy caliente. It’s as warm as it ever gets here. Period.

Thus, I’ve spent the majority of my weekend cooling off with friends and enjoying what’s left of summer. On Saturday night, I attended an outdoor screening of The Graduate at the Hollywood Forever Cemetery. It’s the kind of thing you just can’t do in the winter. Now while I realize that watching a movie amongst a bunch of ghostly tombs may sound a bit odd, I can it assure you that… it is… a tiny bit, but it’s also a lot of fun (and that’s coming from someone who is definitely one of those easily scared types). For those of you who aren’t familiar with it, it’s essentially an L.A. community summer event, much like the Hollywood Bowl, dedicated to showing classic films in an unorthodox location. Trust me, on a warm summer night, there’s not a whole lot better than picnicking outside, watching Dustin Hoffman in his prime, and singing along to Mrs. Robinson. It’s warm, jacketless nights outside like that one, like that really make me appreciate the heat.

Today, I am headed to a cookout in West Hollywood and I thought this adorable dress from Tulle would be just perfect! It’s a great color, it’s light and airy, and it has a wonderful retro feel to it- just perfect for this Labor Day Heatwave. Oh and I got the black ballet flats this weekend at Steve Madden. They were having their Scratch and Save Sale and so I ended up getting these for a bit of a steal. Yahoo!

Dress: Tulle

Ballet Flats: Steve Madden

Enjoy yourselves today, perhaps go out and do something unconventional, but most importantly, absorb that everlasting summer sun!

Photos today by: Jennifer Biswas

No Shoes, No Internet, No Problem

August 28, 2013 Kelly Donohue

August 28, 2013

Cabo San Lucas, Mexico

Well, all the rumors are true: Cabo is AMAZING. Not only did we luck out with perfect, steamy 90-degree weather the entire time, but the food and accommodations were absolutely phenomenal. And trust me, I don’t use the word “phenomenal” lightly. (You’ll see what I mean when you see the pictures!)

Although there's an abundance of exciting activities offered in Cabo, what I appreciated most was actually all that it did NOT offer: no Internet, no television, no telephone, no alarm clock and no sense of time… just the sound of waves crashing against the smooth sandy shore to lull me to sleep at night. It’s the simplicity that I savored the most, realizing I need quite a bit more of it in my everyday life. It’s amazing how much more you experience, how much of the organic world you absorb, without a cellphone attached to your hand.

I spent most of my vacation laying out on the beach, snorkeling in the ocean with Finding Nemo-esque fish, reading good books, eating great food, cooling off after a dip in the salt water pool, drinking frozen cocktails and Coronitas, playing late night card games, and taking naps in a hammock. It was heavenly.

Now if only I could stop daydreaming about Cabo and get back to work, the trip would be a total success! (hence this late post)

This dress from Ruche is perfect for any warm getaway, especially my recent Mexican vacation. It’s dressy enough for an elegant dinner and casual enough to wear on a sunset walk on the beach.

Dress: Ruche(Similar)

Bracelets: American Eagle

Sandals & earrings: Forever21

Nails: Essie "Rock the Boat"

Some of more of my favorites from Cabo

Adios amigos!

Bon Voyage!

August 19, 2013 Kelly Donohue

August 19, 2013

Los Angeles, CA

It's likely that by the time you read this, I will be off on a journey to a land far far away, filled with adventure, mermaids, treasure, sunshine and sand! Ok so before you think I’m headed to Dead Man’s Island Skull Kingdom (I googled that name. It may or may not be real) or some other obscure island in the Caribbean inhabited by pirates, I should let you know that where I’m actually headed is Cabo San Lucas, Mexico. While this resort-filled getaway may not quite be the dastardly, daring, dangerous hideout on the high seas that I imagine conquering with Johnny Depp in my dreams, in reality it’s exactly the type of getaway I’m looking for. All I need to do is remember not to drink the water!

Only a hop skip and a jump away from Los Angeles, Cabo is all kinds of wonderful… or so I hear. To be honest, this is the first tropical vacation I’ve been on since my heyday of yearly family trips pre-college. Since then, I’ve used almost all of my vacation time to fly back east. So you see, I wasn’t really exaggerating too much before. This tropical trip will be one of exploring a whole new place – a modern-day adventure to be sure!

The look I’m sporting is inspired by travel and comfort. I love these floral shorts that I found at H&M while waiting in the check-out line the other day, and how great are the backpacks from Forever21 right now? I love being able to throw things in a backpack while on the go, and they have so many adorable options at the moment. It's loco! (check out the use of my Spanish lingo there). I’m telling you guys, take advantage of their back-to-school bags… who cares if you’re not a student anymore. Oh and the silver bracelet I have on is my medical alert bracelet. I forgot to take it off for the photos but hey Mum at least you have proof that I’m wearing it!