Rage by Lucy Samuelian Launch Party

Last night, I had the great pleasure of attending the launch party of Lucy Samuelian’s new jewelry line, Rage by LS. In case you aren’t familiar with Ms. Samuelian, she is a personal stylist and one of the stars of the reality TV series, “The Glendale Life.” She took her love for accessories and fashion and created some truly unique pieces. On Lucy’s blog, she writes, “The main concept for ‘RAGE’ came from what surrounded me my whole life, whether it’s the love for my culture or California‘s beautiful oceans of course. The key is you have to believe in it to make it a reality.” I really enjoyed her collection, the pieces are edgy but not over the top and look awesome when they are piled on top of each other, like so….
Photo via instagram: @ragebyls

The more rings, the better, I say!

I’m especially obsessed with this pearl ring from her “Deep Sea” collection, but seriously, I wanted everything! But really…my birthday is in a couple weeks so…if anyone wanted to know what I might want, here’s a great option! 😉 Shop the entire collection here.

Thanks for stopping by, and have a great Thursday evening! xo

Bruchin’

The other day, somebody let me out of my cage and I got to go to brunch! If you are laughing, I don’t blame you, but that is a bit how I felt last weekend. As my school semester is coming to a close, I am working extremely hard trying to get everything done. It seems my days are just eat, sleep, school, work, repeat. Someday it will be summer, I keep repeating to myself.

Obviously, when my head is stuck in the books as it is now, putting together a great outfit for a rare brunch date is not something my brain always has the capacity for. That’s why I am obsessed with this grey dress. Its pretty basic, but that is the beauty of it. You can wear it with sneakers for daytime, and throw on some great heels for the evening and it still looks fantastic. If you don’t own a piece like this, I highly recommend finding one, you won’t find many dresses that are so versatile.

Dress: Flea Market, similar/ Shirt: Tommy Hilfiger, similar/ Purse: Forever 21, similar/ Shoes: Converse/ Sunnies: Ray Ban/ Watch: Michael Kors/ Cuff: Forever 21

Thanks for reading, have a great afternoon!

Photos by Ashley Capella

A Note on the Culotte

Do you remember “gaucho” pants that were popular circa 2004? Man, I sure do. In fact, I still have my old pair lying around somewhere. Because they’re jersey, they have long since joined the ranks of my comfy-lounging-around-the-house attire. While that particular pair has been in retirement for a long time, the style has come back around, however, now they are known as the culotte. Normally, I am not into wearing bigger fitting, more over-sized things, which is why it took me a minute to get myself a pair of culottes. I am here to tell you not to be afraid of them, they are hella comfy, yet kinda fancy. Because these are so voluminous, I personally like to contrast that with a peek of skin by wearing a crop top.

Speaking of over-size things, can we talk for a minute about this amazing 80’s vintage moto jacket? Believe it or not, it was my grandmother’s. She was a pretty fashionable lady. I have been a little afraid of wearing this because of how big it is (remember, baggy things and I have formerly not mixed), but I’ve definitely come around and decided that this jacket is way too cool to sit in a box and never get worn.

Jacket: Vintage, vintage/ Top: Asos, similar/ Pants: Forever 21/ Shoes: Cici Hot/ Purse: Betsey Johnson, similar

Thanks for reading, have a great rest of your weekend! xo

Photos by Anthony Deveney

#nochella

Not gonna lie, #nochella quickly became my favorite hashtag over the past two weekends. This is mainly due to the fact that I really wanted to be at Coachella, and #nochella-ing it up doing other things made it not sting so much. However, when I got invited to spend Sunday hanging out with some friends at a beach house in Malibu, I quickly forgot all about Coachella. I mean seriously, this beach couldn’t have been more beautiful. This outfit definitely has a festival feel to it, but it also really worked for a relaxing day at the beach. To think that people actually get to wake up every morning to this kind of view is unfathomable!

Top: American Apparel/ Pants: Forever 21, old, similar/ Hat: Forever 21/Purse: Fossil, similar/ Sunnies: Ray Ban/ Watch: Michael Kors

Thanks for reading, have a great afternoon! xo

Photos by Sarah Hester

We’ll Always Have Santa Barbara

Sometimes, you just gotta get outta town, especially when you have been working your butt off for the last eight weeks with a slightly heavier school schedule while also balancing work. Spring break has never tasted so sweet as it has this semester, let me tell you. I had not spent much time in Santa Barbara, so my boyfriend and I decided to head up there for a couple days to explore and relax. Being the wine lover that I am, one of my favorite activities on this trip was going wine tasting in “The Funk Zone,” an area a couple blocks from the beach where all the local wineries have their tasting rooms. These pictures were taken after a couple hours of said wine tasting, so you might imagine how hard it was to actually balance on these railroad tracks. Though at the time I didn’t intend for it, this outfit is really giving really strong Casablanca vibes (thus the title of this post), probably due to the trench coat/fedora combination. A trench is one piece that is invaluable in anyone’s wardrobe. It’s practical when it rains, but it also is classic and can be worn with anything from a flannel and chucks to a formal dress. It is also great for almost any season, especially in spring when you could experience rain-showers and chilly sunsets all in one day.

Trench: H&M, similar/ Blouse: Tommy Hilfiger, old, similar/ Tank: Forever 21, similar/ Pants: Gap/ Hat: Forever 21/ Shoes: Converse/ Purse: Forever 21/ Watch: Michael Kors

Thanks for reading…here’s lookin’ at you, kid(s). 😉 xo

Sunday Best

Easter is probably the epitome of “putting on your Sunday best.” When I was younger, getting an “Easter Dress” was always something I really looked forward to. This always involved going to Dillard’s with my mom and grandmother to pick out just what I would wear to church on that very special Sunday. While I haven’t had an Easter dress in years, I picked up this amazing dress recently and immediately fell in love with it because it reminded me of a dress i wore on Easter probably around the time I was 8. I remember trying on this dress and thinking there had never been nor would there ever be anything prettier. In fact, I don’t think I have ever any piece of clothing as much as I loved this dress. What can I say, I’ve been fashion obsessed since…forever. Here’s that gem of an Easter dress in all its 90’s glory below:

While personally Easter isn’t quite the same as it used to be back then, I can’t deny that I won’t take any excuse or occasion to get dressed up, especially when the dress reminds me of my favorite dress EVER.

Dress: Forever 21/ Shoes: Shoedazzle, sold out, similar/ Clutch: House of Harlow 1960

Have a wonderful Easter/Passover, and thanks for reading! xo

Photos by Ashley Capella

Not Your Grandma’s Gingham

Gingham. It’s not just for picnics, your grandmother, or Dorothy Halloween costumes anymore. If you can only update your wardrobe this spring with one thing, I highly recommend something gingham because it is huge this season. Also, despite the fact that this is a “trend” this year, gingham doesn’t really ever go out of style. This little shirtdress is probably going to be on heavy rotation for me this spring and summer because it is so freakin’ comfortable, breezy, and versatile. I decided to style it a little bit quirky for running around this afternoon by wearing it with high top sneakers and a bright, printed scarf, but I could easily see it being great for evening with some strappy black sandals (or red, if you wanna go for that tongue-in-cheek ode to Dorothy look…there’s no place like home, there’s no place like home…).

Dress: Forever 21/Sneakers: Nike, similar in a different color here/ Purse: Kate Spade/ Sunnies: Ray Ban/ Watch: Michael Kors/ Cuff: Flea Market, similar

I hope you are having a great weekend, as always, thanks for reading! xo

Photos by Sarah Hester

Boho in the ‘Bu

In case you are a bit confused by the title of this post, “the ‘bu” is what some of us here in Southern California lovingly use to refer to that paradise that is Malibu. The funny thing about living in LA is that while everyone else probably thinks that all we do is hang out at the beach, in reality, most people you talk to will tell you they feel as though they rarely get out to the coast. In my opinion, this is a huge shame and a sad reality. However, when you have a great reason to get yourself out to Malibu, like when your parents come to town, the excuse is always welcome. I had a great afternoon a couple weeks ago enjoying the sun and scenery at Malibu Pier with my parents, who were visiting from Tennessee. We grabbed some lunch at Malibu Farm, which I am pretty obsessed with because it was super delicious and healthy.

If you read my last post, you know that the Boho look is big this spring, which is why I did not hesitate to snap up this awesome crochet-macrame looking dress. I could also see it doubling as a really awesome bathing suit cover-up if you wore it sans slip. Another thing to note is the fact that whether or not you like it, gladiator sandals are still huge and don’t seem to be going anywhere anytime soon, so get yourself a pair! They go great with things that have a hippie sensibility to them, but they also add a fun twist to other looks as well. Plus, they may make you feel like Xena, Warrior Princess when you wear them, which is not a bad thing.

My pretty mom and me 🙂

Dress: Forever 21/ Hat: Lucky Brand, similar/ Shoes: Amazon, similar/ Purse: Fossil, similar/ Belt: Vintage

Have a great day, and thanks for reading! xo

Los Angeles Fashion Week: Sue Wong

A couple of weeks ago, my friend Sarah asked me if I wanted to accompany her to Sue Wong’s Fall/ Winter show during LA Fashion Week. My response was, “Uhhh….yes please!” Of course, as soon as the invitation was extended, our next thoughts were immediately, “What to wear?!” Seeing as how we had a little less than two weeks to prepare and very packed schedules, I recommended we try Rent the Runway. In case you aren’t aware of what Rent the Runway is, it is a website where you can rent designer duds for really affordable prices. They have you covered for anything you might need for any type of occasion, whether it is a casual summer wedding or a black tie gala. One thing I really love about this site is that women who have rented dresses write reviews on the dress they rented and upload pictures of themselves in the dress. This really helps take the guesswork out of knowing how a dress will look on you because you can simply find someone who has a similar body type to yours and see how the dress looked on them.

Another amazing feature of this Rent the Runway is that they send you a “backup dress” in a different size just in case the size you ordered isn’t quite right. If you are like me, you insist that you are always a certain size. I am usually always a size 6, and while the size 6 fit, the dress ran a bit small so I was grateful for the “backup” size 8 they also sent me. Once you pick your dress, you tell them what four days you need it on, and you are well on your way to having the “what to wear” dilemma off your mind! If you want to get crazy, you can pay $99 a month and have unlimited access to their “wardrobe” and rent pieces as you please! It’s kind of like old school Netflix, you rent a piece and send it back when you are done with it and ready for the next one.

I chose this Milly dress because I wanted to wear something that paid a little homage to Sue Wong’s extravagant style. I had a couple of people at the show who thought this was one of her designs! In any case, it was so much fun to wear and I was really upset that I had to send it back.

Sarah wanted to go for something simple and sexy that she could play up with fun accessories, so she chose this jersey DKNY number. You really can’t go wrong with a LBD.

My Look: Dress: Milly via Rent The Runway/ Clutch: Forever 21, old, similar/ Heels: Steve Madden, similar/ Watch: Michael Kors

Sarah’s Look: Dress: Donna Karan New York via Rent the Runway/ Clutch: unknown, similar/ Heels: Michael Kors, similar

Renting these dresses from Rent the Runway was so easy. You literally pick what you want, they send it to you, and then you send it back four days later in the pre-addressed envelope. Both Sarah and I were really satisfied and will definitely be using this site again. By the way, this post is not sponsored, I just am really obsessed with this site!

Not gonna lie, I was pretty stoked for the red carpet. Thus, this foot selfie.

Overall, I really loved the show. Sue Wong’s collection was gorgeous and the details on her pieces are amazing. I was especially obsessed with all the extravagant headpieces and secretly wish that there could be some occasion where it might be socially acceptable to wear them!

After the show, we attended the after party at the designer’s home, which was just as incredible and extravagant as her collection. Of course, there was more red carpet to walk. 😉

Here we are with our friend Ken, and the designer of some of the awesome headpieces from the show. You can check out more of her work here.

Photo by Greg Doherty

We also had the pleasure of meeting Ms. Wong herself! No big deal. 😉
Photo by Greg Doherty

Both Sarah and I had the best time at the show and the party and really wish we could do it every night. If only every week was fashion week!

This post was super long, but I hope you enjoyed this little inside look at LA Fashion Week! Cheers, and have a great night! xo

Outfit of the Day: Oscar Sunday!

Happy Oscar Sunday everyone! Here’s a quick little post of today’s outfit in honor of the biggest award show of the year! This is my second year hosting a small party to watch the Oscars, so I figured, what better to wear than sweat pants covered in gold sequins? Obviously, I’d rather be wearing St. Laurent…maybe next year. 😛 Now if you will excuse me, I need to get back to drinking sangria and drooling over the red carpet fashion going down right now.

Shirt: Forever 21, similar/ Pants: Forever 21, similar/ Shoes: Steve Madden/ Necklaces: Vintage

Have a fantastic Oscar Sunday, thanks for reading! xo

Photos by Ashley Capella