Winter Dress Up.

January 9, 2014

Los Angeles, CA

Ok, so I’ve been hearing on the news, from my Mum, on facebook… everywhere basically, about just how very cold it is all across in the country right now, and so I wanted to put together a little cozy winter weather inspired look for you guys today (even though it’s actually in the 70s here in LA).  While I’m not sure why the rest of the country has not migrated to Southern California yet, which would cause even bigger traffic jams than we already have, I do understand that the colder weather also has it’s charm. 

When it’s a bit on the chillier side, I like to dress up a chunky or bulky sweater like this one with a skirt (or some shorts) and some tights. Today I’m wearing sheer tights but obviously if you’re someplace colder, substitute those for a thicker pair and suddenly what once felt like a frumpy outfit (had it been paired with jeans) is now a fun, sassy little number.  It is also still an outfit that is warm enough to have you ready for a day or night out on the chilly town.  With tons of snow lying around, heels are not an option, but luckily, you can rock a pair of boots like these, giving yourself a bit of an edgier look, and (most importantly) allowing you to stay comfy.  I added this mustard statement necklace, from thatsmineboutique! for a pop of color amongst the sea of greys and blacks, and voilà!  What do you guys think of this look?

Statement Necklace: ThatsMineBoutique

Boots: Steve Madden

Chunky Sweater: H&M

Tights & Skirt: Forever21

Purse: MichaelKors

Photos By: Jennifer Biswas

Black. White. & Bold.

January 6, 2014

Los Angles, CA.

Oh hey…. It’s 2014!  

I remember thinking when I was a little kid that when it was 2014, we’d probably have flying cars, live on another planet, and say things to each other like “zedis lapedis”.  Ok, now while I have to admit I definitely watched the Disney channel original movie, Zenon: Girl of the 21st Century, an unhealthy amount of times, and got most of these ideas from this gem of a film, I simply can’t believe how fast 15 years can go by.  In 1999, when this movie came out, I remember how crazy I thought it would be to be able to talk to someone and be able to see them on the device at the same time, and now, today, with smartphones, we can do that!

It’s pretty wild all that can happen in a year.  2013 brought with it many ups and downs for my loved ones and I, (marriages, a new baby, illness, engagement, new jobs, and losing jobs) and while it’s easy to concentrate on the negatives, the crappy stuff, the things that are difficult for us to change, I’ve found it’s best to use the good stuff… all the positive things, the things that we can do something about, and use that stuff to propel us forward and make something great of the year ahead.  Who knows, maybe 2014 is the year of the flying car after all!

This year I hope to be a little bit bolder with my fashion both here on the blog and also out in my day to day.  I tend to play it safe and stick to the basics and while I want to stay true to myself, what I am drawn to, and what I love, (which is a more classic, girly look) I want to be a even more in tune with the fashion world than I’ve been since starting the blog.  You guys will have to let me know how I’m doing with that.  I want to wear more bold lipstick colors when I go out at night and I don’t want to be afraid to wear heels on a lunch date (I have to admit, those are a few things I almost NEVER do- I wear a lot of boots).

I want to try to face-time with my friends and family back east more often, read more novels, spend more time down by the beach while I write and less time cooped up inside hunched over my computer.  I want to travel to Europe or some other country that I’ve never been to (I have lots of travel to get in and I have to hurry up and started!) and I want to still continue to work hard to achieve all the many things (I’m too embarrassed to talk about here) that my eleven year old self had set out to achieve all those years ago. 

This outfit today is perfect for a fresh new start.  I love this top from H&M. It’s classic, yet it makes quite a statement with it’s beaded embroidery and because of its cropped length I think it’s a fun way to make a splash this week.  I paired it with some black H&M pants, my new classic black pumps from ALDO and this adorable chunky gold bracelet with emerald charm from that’smine!boutique.  It’s always great to add a bit of color with a black and white look.  I chose this deep brick red color from Sephora.  Like I said, playing around with lipstick is newer for me, but so far, I’m loving it! 

Bracelet: c/o That'smineboutique

Top & Pants: H&M  

Heels: ALDO

Lips: Sephora

Purse: Forever21 (Similar)

Zedis  Lepidis!

Photos today by: Jennifer Biswas 

A Snow Bunny Bachelorette

January 3, 2014

Loon Mountain. Woodstock, New Hampshire.

Happy New Year!

I hope you all have had a relaxing holiday break.  It feels like centuries since I’ve been able to sit down and blog, but I’m finally back!  I wanted take a moment today and deviate from my usual posts to share a bit from my sister’s recent bachelorette weekend.  It was a blast and I figured it would be fun to share.

My sister, Erin, has chosen to have her wedding in New England… in the middle of February.  Risking a potential blizzard on her special day, she has decided upon the peak of ski season over the typical warmer months that most East coast brides go with, and thus, when planning her bachelorette weekend, I wanted to keep in line with that same wintery theme.  Since Erin has already attended quite a few Boston pub crawls I wanted to do something different… and since I also wanted to include a bit of relaxation (for those of her friends who had new babies or were pregnant) with the wild times most bachelorette parties include, I felt like a weekend away at one of the most popular ski resorts in New Hampshire was the perfect fit.

Not knowing much about the area, I relied mostly on the reviews I found online for both dinner/bar/and rental accommodations. Luckily (shockingly??) it all turned out amazing!  A few of us got there early and decorated the place with fresh greens we cut from right outside the cabin (errr, I hope that’s okay!), along with candles, white lights, homemade snowflakes, pinecones, and white ribbon.  It really doesn’t take a lot to make a place look lovely- some great ideas from Pinterest can really go a long way!  The goal was to quickly turn the place from a typical cabin into a page out of Pottery Barn’s winter catalogue… and by the time she got there it (almost) looked like that! Regardless, it definitely looked like a cozy winter wonderland. 

On the first night, we got settled in by drinking tons of champagne, eating delicious food, playing Cards Against Humanity, dancing and relaxing.  On Saturday, we hit the slopes and took breaks at the slope-side bar.  In order to differentiate ourselves from the rest of the diners/bar-goers, we decided to go out in theme… and what could be more fitting for a bunch of ski-side bachelorettes than: SNOW BUNNIES?? 

When I found these bunny hats on KNITWITS, I nearly screamed with excitement.  They were exactly what I was looking for and I knew I had to get them.   I told the girls to go nuts with clothing and find sweaters with snowflakes, reindeers, etc. They all went along with my crazy idea and it was so much fun!

I went in search of the perfect all-white snow bunny look for Erin and found these love and snowflake leggings at PINK, and the sparkly white sweater at OLD NAVY. 

The rest of the night was an absolute blast and in a smaller mountain town where most of the people seemed to know each other, we stuck out… quite a bit.  It was a great getaway for all of us and I think my sister loved it (I hope!) 

Every winter, the snow bunnies of the wilderness have to find a way to stay warm.  During Erin’s winter wonderland wedding, these snow bunnies will definitely find a way to stay warm, with beautiful dresses, plenty of wine, and lots of laughs.  I’m just glad to have gotten things started on the right foot… and I can’t wait to do it all over again at the wedding.