All-Black Leaves

 Sweater: Ted Baker     Shoes: New Chic ℅     Skirt: MaxStudio (similar)     Bag: Kate Spade    Sunglasses: Karen Walker    Hair: Irresistible Me ℅   Lipstick: Urban Decay

This party look, honestly, would normally be a little outside my comfort zone.  But it's fun to push the envelope sometimes!  This leaf skirt was something that I saw in my friend's closet, and while it was not necessarily my style, something about it drew me in, and I had to borrow it!  

I treated it like I would a feather or fringe skirt, and decided to go sleek and all-black.  Head to toe black is one of my favorite go-to looks to look evening ready, and I think there's just something so mysterious and chic about it!  

This sweater is my favorite top in my closet right now, and these heels tied in with the bow on the bag! They're an ideal height for walking and a vegan velvet-suede material. (and you can use my code blog20off for your own pair or anything from newchic.com)  You know how people do test-walks in shoes before purchasing them?  I always like to do a test-dance in heels before I buy them to make sure that they are ideal for a party or night out!  It's slightly embarrassing to do in a store, but gets the job done.  I've found that my ideal height is 3-4 inches.

Thank goodness tomorrow's Friday... hope you are all having a great week so far!

Plaid Puffer + Pearls

 Top: J. Crew     Vest: Uniqlo (similar)      Pearls: J. Crew Factory     Boots: Tory Burch       

Jeans: 7 for All Mankind (altered)     Hair: Irresistible Me ℅

Is it really almost MARCH?  I've been clinging to my winter wardrobe for the past month or so, as we've had mixed weather.  Cold one day, hot the next.  As much as I love spring, I'm not quite ready to stash away my sweaters and boots yet!

This vest from Uniqlo is so light, packable, and I love that it's not filled with down (just air!).  I don't really use vest for warmth purposes, just layering pieces.  Plaid and stripes is one of my favorite unexpected print combos, and I love having neutrals like these cognac riding boots and my favorite jeans in there to break it up a bit.

And of course, pearls aren't just relegated towards formal-wear only.  I love incorporating this J. Crew pearl necklace into casual and dressy outfits.   Thinking of classic pieces as a neutral (like pearls or a tan trench coat) makes them really easy to transition from day to night.

J. Crew Striped Tee Shirt with Bow Embellished Back in Navy/White + Uniqlo Plaid Puffer Vest + J. Crew Factory Multistrand Pearl Necklace + Tory Burch Blaire Riding Boots in Cognac Brown + 7 For All Mankind Dark Wash Skinny Jeans, altered + c/o Irresistible Me Silky Touch Extensions in Brown, 140g, 14 in.

Rainy Day With A View

 Top: J. Crew    Umbrella: Kate Spade (similar)    Boots: Tory Burch (similar)    Coat: Uniqlo

I've always loved rain for some inexplicable reason, and for the last couple days, we've been lucky enough to get some much-needed showers in Southern Cali.  Hopefully it has helped out the drought a little, but the visual results have been wonderful. It has been looking much greener, and it's wonderful to gaze at from a high point.  This peaceful spot on the edge of a hill is a nice quiet space to take everything in, and it will be my spot to visit whenever it rains.  

J. Crew Embellished Tartan Buffalo Plaid Tee + Kate Spade Bird Duck Head Dot Umbrella + Tory Burch Aaden Riding Boots in Brown + Uniqlo Girls Tan Trench Coat

Red Lobster & White Lace

Sweater: J. Crew Factory    Shorts: (similar)     Bag: Marley Lilly ℅      Belt: Fossil (similar)     

Bracelet: Kiel James Patrick     Sunglasses: Polette ℅ (similar)   Hair: Irresistible Me ℅

Happy almost-Valentine's Day!  This time of year, love is in the air, and apparently so is the flu.  Weirdly enough, I've been sick every Valentine's Day for the past three years.  This year, unfortunately, the pattern is happening again, as I've had an on-off fever and lost my voice for the past couple days.  Hopefully I'll be better by the 14th so I can break the yearly pattern!

Today you might notice my hair is a little longer in these photos- I'm wearing a new set of extensions.  As much fun as I had at first with my shorter haircut, I was really missing my long hair after a while and decided to try out a set of these Irresistible Me extensions.  They are really easy to put in, and they stayed in through the tests of a 2+ mile run and a Disneyland Rollercoaster.  Also, I dyed them a little darker to match my hair exactly, and they took color really well.  I'll be wearing these until my hair grows back out!

Thanks again to the Marley Lilly team for sending this scalloped tote my way!  It's my new favorite tote for running errands.  I love bringing it to Trader Joe's and Whole Foods, mostly because every tote looks 10x better with flowers peeking out of it.  It's spacious, and the scalloped detail adds lots of visual appeal.

J. Crew Factory Lobster Charley Intarsia Sweater + White Lace Scalloped Shorts + c/o Marley Lilly Navy Monogrammed Scalloped Tote + Fossil Vintage Leather Braided Belt + Kiel James Patrick Gold Quartermaster Bracelet + c/o Polette Vikki Sunglasses + c/o Irresistible Me Silky Touch Extensions

What's In My Workspace

Today, I'm very excited to be sharing my favorite workspace items!  These are just a few of the essentials that I love to keep in my desk and bring to and from work.  My desk is full of unnecessary stuff, and the top part is covered in tchotchkes like pink quartz stones (for good luck ;-) and cute boxes.  I've been trying to clean it up for the new year and streamline it all. 

I believe that fun office supplies makes work much more fun.  Just like your closet, the workspace you keep should be a reflection of your style and personality.  I admit, when I think of the word "office" a drab gray cubicle is the first thing that comes to mind.  But with some creativity, it's really easy to create a workspace that makes you feel comfortable and happy.

My Laptop

I love my MacBook Air.  This is the 13" one, and it has served me well over the past 3 years.  My only downside to this laptop would be that, like all other Apple products, it needs to be charged very frequently.  I always keep a charger on hand for this.  

My marble case is from CaseApp.  I love their customizable products, and this laptop skin stays really clean even though it is a light color.  

Knock Knock Notepads and Sticky Notes

I was first introduced to Knock Knock product a few years ago when someone got me the Passive Aggressive Notes for Christmas as a gag gift.  They make the most hilarious paper products with funny messages on them.  I have a ton of different ones, but these two are my favorites.   I don't use the Passive Aggressive Notes very often, as they are too snarky for the workplace, but the We Need To Talk stickies are great for leaving someone a message.  

Beauty Products

I always like to have a bottle of lotion on hand, since my skin gets really dry, especially during the colder seasons.  Tocca makes really delicate scents, which is perfect for when you are around lots of people.  It's important not to wear an overwhelmingly potent fragrance in the workplace, just as a common courtesy to anyone who might have sensitive smell.

This Tarte lipstick is my current favorite.  Admittedly, I only bought it because the floral print lured me in at Sephora, but it's a really great formula.

Kate Spade Tackle Box

This Kate Spade box has a lot of essentials in it, with a cute flair.  I love the polka dot pencils, even though I typically prefer to write with pens.  They have a lot of really cute office products in their line!  I also love Rifle Paper Co.'s products, which I buy via Anthropologie. 

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Details {from first picture}

Shoes: Gucci     Laptop: Apple     Marble MacBook Skin: Caseapp ℅    Lotion: Tocca   Lipstick: Tarte

Stapler: Swingline     Tackle Box: Kate Spade     Notepad: Knock Knock    Sticky Notes: Knock Knock

Notebook: Ted Baker     Book: Kate Spade 

P.S.   Sorry for not posting in the past few days!  I've been down with an angry fever.  :-(  Getting better now!

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Jade Blooms at the Flower Shop

Top: J. Crew     Skirt: J. Crew    Bag: Vintage Ferragamo     Shoes: Chanel     Bracelet: Vintage market find (similar)     Hat: Eric Javits    Sunglasses: Polette ℅ (similar)