Spring Essentials.

April 4, 2014

Pan Pacific Park, Los Angeles, CA.

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I love casual Fridays. 

On this breezy April afternoon, I decided to try out my new lace top from Ruche and dress it down a bit with some of my favorite polka-dot jeans from H&M.  While it is great to follow the latest trends, its also necessary to pick up a few classic pieces for your wardrobe.  This lovely white lace top will certainly be a go-to over the coming months!  Oh, and while I love that it’s buttoned up- making it feel slightly sophisticated, the shear back allows just a touch of youthful edge.

Enjoy your weekend!

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Top: Ruche

Jeans: H&M

Sandals: Ruche

Little Blue Purse: Forever21 (similar)

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Photos taken by: Courtney  Locks

Springtime.

March 27, 2014.

Griffith Park, Los Angeles, CA.

It’s a beautiful, crisp and windy day in the neighborhood today.  It reminds me of an early east coast spring day- the air is slightly warmer than it has been all winter, the sun is brighter and the air seems fresher.

Growing up in New Hampshire, my family made frequent visits to the local farm on Sundays, after church, and it was always around this time of year that the new bunnies, chicks, and ducks were born.   My sister and I longed for airy spring-like days like today, because we knew it meant that the adorable baby animals would be arriving soon.  We probably had about fifteen bunnies and a couple of ducks growing up, (we were expert convincers) and even when we were well into high school, Erin and I continued to take trips over to the farm to check out (and attempt to convince my parents they needed to take home) their newest selection of adorable fury friends. 

Thinking back on all of this reminds me that I REALLY need to get another bunny… and it also reminds me that spring is a wonderful time of year to allow yourself to get excited about something new- to celebrate change, and fresh beginnings.  

I decided to celebrate spring today in the most seasonally appropriate dress I currently own. Perfect for a lunch date with the girls, this dress is new from Ruche and the color and sweetheart top are so flattering and feminine- I  simply adore it!   I paired the dress with some simple nude heels from Forever21, a pop more color with earrings from That'smineboutique and finished it off with this dainty bracelet from Mickey’s Girl

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"You can cut all the flowers but you can't keep the spring from coming" - Pablo Neruda

Photos taken by: Courtney Locks

Scatterbrained.

March 25, 2014

Santa Monica, CA 

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Today, I’m writing this post from a sidewalk outside Groundworks coffee shop in Santa Monica, and while it’s great to be writing outdoors (one of my new years resolutions) and I certainly welcome the change of scenery, I am going to apologize in advance if today’s read is a bit scattered.

I am one of those people that simply have the inability to focus when there are lots of distracting things going on in the background.  There are just too many fascinating people to watch in this city!  I’ve been here for 20 minutes and so far I’ve learned all about what the two, loud, older gentlemen next to me dreamt about last night.  Speaking as if they were in the privacy of a therapists office, they analyzed each other’s multiple “dreamt- up” wives (one of them a sixteen year old wife), their feelings, their dreamt up conversations, and the epic battles they fought.  Honestly, it seemed pretty obvious to me that they’ve both been watching too many re-runs of Game of Thrones, but they took the dreams very seriously, decoding every element, discussing the dreamt up characters as if they were real, and translating them back to each other.  All I can say is if these guys weren’t writers, they should be because they had wild imaginations!

Oh and I’ve also seen about twenty dogs that I’d love to steal- I swear Santa Monica must have more dogs than humans- and I’ve watched as everyone else around me appears to be getting heaps of work done.  The guy next to me has practically finished his book, The Metamorphis of Persephonie, and everyone else in my periphery seems to be feverishly typing away on their laptops… so is it just me?   Do you guys ever find yourselves struggling to focus in similar sitiuations?  If you are able to meditate, focus solely on a conversation while an interesting TV show plays  in the background, or even keep your focus on your work at your local coffee shop, I give you props!

The temps have dropped a bit over the past couple of days but it’s still in the breezy sixties and seventies, which is just fine with me!  I decided to pair this lace floral t-shirt with this adorable striped new pencil skirt from Rouche.  Stripes and florals are perfect for spring and while this fitted skirt is incredibly comfortable, it also maintains your shape- a great staple for this season! 

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Skirt: Rouche

Shirt: Forever21

Booties: H&M

Purse: Marshalls

Necklace: Rouche (SIMILAR)

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Concentrate all your thoughts upon the work at hand.  The sun’s rays do not burn until brought to a focus.  – Alexander Graham Bell

Photos taken by: Courtney Locks