Archives for August 2015

Hello September! Summer is basically over, which means I’m putting away a ton of dresses, but not this one. This dress, which I picked up during a J.Crew factory flash sale, is made of a neoprene material. Neoprene is the same material that wetsuits are made out of! It makes it a super stretch material and totally breathable. The dress itself is crazy comfy and has front pockets that are the perfect size for my cellphone. 

Dress // Shoes // Purse // Sunglasses // Necklace

The Kate Spade Mini Carson has become my new favorite purse for Fall. With two large pockets, it’s better than most for carrying all of my essential all day items (I tend to have a lot of essentials ;)).

Of all the necklaces I got from Rocksbox, this has to be one of my very favorites! The Perry Street Flora Street necklace has such pretty gold detailing and crystal pieces make this such a universally loved necklace. Seriously, I feel like I can pair it with almost anything to class up an outfit.

I love the signature tieks blue at the bottom of each pair of shoes. It gives it that signature look you would recognize anywhere, like the red bottom of a pair of Louboutin’s. 

Dress // Shoes // Purse // Sunglasses // Necklace

It’s almost the end of August and I’ve definitely had fall on my mind (actually, fall has been on my mind since like july). I am so excited to pull out cosy sweaters and thick socks. New coats have always been one of my favorite things to pick as the weather gets colder. Since I grew up in San Francisco, coats have always been a necessity for me and I’m getting ready for the mornings to get chilly and the nights to get dark. It won’t bother me though because I will have a few cosy coats for fall. Check out a few that I’ve already added to my fall wish list.

Ralph Lauren Trim Faux Leather Quilted Jacket – This jacket makes me feel like I should be on a foxhunt or something in the London countryside. I love the faux leather elbow patches!

Banana Republic Military Jacket – I never thought I’d get on the military jacket trend until I saw this one. I love that it cinches at the waist and has these huge flap pockets. It’s perfect for the in between warm and cool weather days.

J.Crew Stadium Cloth Majesty Peacoat – A classic peacoat is the perfect fall accessory. I feel like it’s a staple for every girl’s wardrobe. If you don’t have one, then it’s definitely time.

Thread & Supply Toggle Jacket – Two words, hunter green. I love the foresty color of this hooded toggle coat. It’s also a huge bonus that it has a hood. Fall, I am so coat ready for you!

I’ve been doing a fair bit of shopping lately. With summer being almost over, there have been a ton of good sales and new products arriving for fall. So I couldn’t help, but find some new pieces and products to get totally enamored over. Check out some of the products that I’ve been loving lately!

CB Station Navy Monogrammed Sunshine Satchel – I seriously can’t get over how much I’m loving this bag. I was looking for a bigger bag for all of my fall and winter getaways since my usual go-to is a bit on the small side when I stumbled upon this monogrammed beauty on Tuckernuck. Navy, stripes and a bit of personalization? I was sold! It was an awesome bonus that signing up for their newsletter also gave my 10% off my first purchase. I used the bag for a quick weekend getaway and it was the first time in history that I still had a bit more room in my bag for anything extra. 

Scrubs – I totally pick TV shows and obsess over them for a few weeks before moving on to something else. Right now, I’m obsessed with watching Scrubs on Netflix. I’m not sure why, but it’s the perfect show to fall asleep to, to watch while I work, to watch while I cook, clean and on and on. I’ve seen most of the episodes before so it’s great for just putting on in the background.

Kate Spade Cobble Hill Mini Carson – This is the one time that shopping and wine drinking totally mixed. I was having a quick happy hour with my sister for her birthday and we decided to take a peek into Kate Spade, just to see if they had launched any fall goodies yet. While they hadn’t, we did find a few items on sale that we decided we desperately needed. For me, it was this creamy cobble hill mini carson cross body. It has two big pockets, perfect for storing all of my everyday essentials. I can’t wait to pair this purse with all of my outfits for fall!

Liz Earle Cleanse & Polish – My face seems to get used to my cleansers after a few months and they stop working as well so I like to switch it up and find new ones to love. This time I went to an old favorite, Liz Earle’s Cleanse & Polish. The smell of the cleanser is so calming, it’s like it’s own little spa treatment and the muslin cloth is great for exfoliating.

Hue Super Smooth Denim Leggings – These will be my ultimate go-to comfy pants for fall! They look like jeans, are super comfortable and make your butt look all kinds of good (seriously though). I have a feeling that these pants will be in constant rotation for all of fall and winter!

Sephora always has a section for sale items, but lately it seems packed to the brim as summer draws to an end. There are a ton of great products currently at crazy good prices so you have got to check it out like… right now! If you need help deciding what to get, I’ve already compiled a whole list of items I would love to pick up at these kind of prices.

Urban Decay Flushed in Native ($32 on sale for $15): I love that this palette is a bronzer, highlighter and blush all in one. It’s perfect to toss into my work makeup bag for a quick touch up before I leave the office. And it definitely doesn’t hurt that it’s only $15!

First Aid Beauty Facial Radiance Serum ($44 on sale for $22): I have always loved First Aid Beauty, especially love their repair cream, but I have never tried any of their serums. Since this one is on sale, it’s the perfect time to try it out. 

Benefit Primping With The Stars ($32 on sale for $24): Benefit product kits are always packed with a great array of deluxe product samples centered around a theme. This one utilizes some of their ultimate cult classics and takes care of your lips, cheeks, eyes and skin!

Tarte Empower Flower Amazonian Clay Collector’s Palette ($42 on sale for $36): With 8 eyeshadows and 3 blushes, this kit has the colors/shades for every day of the week. 

Boscia Cool Blue Calming Mask ($34 on sale for $24): After a bit too much time spent in the sun, my face could definitely use a bit of pampering so I’m excited to grab this cooling, calming mask on sale and give myself some instant hydration.

Korres Cucumber De-puffing Eye Mask ($16 on sale for $12): De-puffing and calming eye gel? Um, yes! I’m always looking for something that will take care of my eyes on those days where I haven’t gotten enough sleep.

LAVANILA Vanilla Passion Fruit Fragrance ($58 on sale for $35): For all those who love the smell of vanilla, this is the perfume for you. In fact, you’ll just love the whole line of vanilla scented products. I especially love their vanilla roller balls!

I absolutely loved the design of this month’s box. The pool image was just too cute to not reuse the box in another way. Good thinking Birchbox! The theme of the month was ‘Soak it Up’ to help us remember to soak up as much as summer as we can before it’s gone. I definitely got a lot of great summer essentials in this month’s box so let me share some of my new favorites!

What’s in my box:
Air Repair Complexion Boosting Moisturizer – I’ve read some great reviews on this moisturizer so I can’t wait to try it out. I also that it’s unisex so I can totally share it with my boyfriend when he forgets to grab a travel one of his own.
The Balm Desert Bronzer/Blush – For a quick, sun kissed glow on the go, this little pack is the best. I love that even though it’s a small size, it lasts a really long time.
R+Co Death Valley Dry Shampoo – I feel like I can never have too many dry shampoo sprays and this   one promises to give me bit of texture too. The size of it makes it perfect for on the go touchups or throwing in my overnight bag for travel.
Coola SPF 30 Organic Makeup Setting Spray – I know I’ve talked about this one before, but it’s seriously my absolute favorite when it comes to setting spray. It reduces my daily compact touchups to almost nothing, which is fantastic in its own right.
St. Tropez Gradual Tan in Shower Lotion – Applied in the shower makes this the craziest self tanner I have ever seen, but I do like that it’s gradual. When you’re as pale as I am, it’s scary to think about quickly I could go from pale to orange skin so gradual makes it easy to choose how intense you want your tan.

What did you get in your box this month?

On my way to work every morning, I like to read a book. I have about 30 minutes until I reach my stop so it’s the perfect time to get in a couple chapters of a new favorite. Last week, I was totally engrossed in a book I’ve read a million times when the guy next to me tapped me on the shoulder and asked what I was reading.  I blushed and told him that it was just a guilty pleasure book and didn’t give him the title. I realized that I felt guilty for reading a book that probably wouldn’t make the list for the 100 books to read before you die. They’re not the great next american novel or award winning pieces of literature that expand the mind, but they’re books that are throughly entertaining and do wonders to help me quickly escape into another world. So why feel guilty? I get to read for at least an hour everyday to and from work and I read everything from Jane Austen and Marcel Proust classics to young adult fiction from Clare and Collins. Why does it matter what I decide to read on a given day, as long as I always decide to keep reading. So here are my favorite ‘guilty pleasure’ books to keep you always reading. 

One thing that I love about designers like Kate Spade, their pieces are always in style. I never have to worry about buying a piece and having it no longer be in fashion the next year. Case in point, this adorable Sonja Dress. I’ve had this dress for almost two and a half years and I feel like I can pull it out whenever the sun is shining. I paired the dress with a distress white denim jacket and some adorable and incredibly comfy canvas wedges. A perfect look for a sunny day (hello 87 degrees) in San Francisco!

Kate Spade Sonja Dress (old, new favorite) //J.Crew Seville Espadrille Wedges // Joe Fresh Distressed White Denim Jacket (on sale!) // Letter B Enamel Bangle (old, similar) // Sole Society Purse (old, similar)

It was even worn in wardrobe on The Other Woman with Cameron Diaz, Leslie Mann and Kate Upton. I loved all of her looks in that film so I was so excited to see her rocking one of my favorite dresses. 

Those shoes, though!

I’ve talked about back to… agendas, but notebooks are a whole other story. I plan out my week to week in an actual agenda, but all of my daily to do lists live on a single sheet of paper. While a lot of my to-do’s might live online on a calendar, I like to write everything down as soon as I sit down at my desk in the morning. It’s a second reminder to make sure everything gets done and the ability to physically cross an item off of my list is one of the best feelings in my day. So, grab yourself a notebook and start crossing off your daily to-do’s. It’s time to take care of business. 

Kate Spade Striped Notebooks // Lilly Pulitzer Mini Notebook // Rifle Paper Co. Notebook // Lilly Pulitzer Sticky Note // Kate Spade Whistle While You Work Set 

The Palace hotel is one of my favorite hotels in the city and it’s just been recently renovated. To show off all the new renovations, they were holding a promotion for a super discounted ‘staycation’ package to come and check out all of their improvements. It seemed like the perfect time for a weekend… not away. We checked in early on Saturday and immediately got to check out a few of their improvements, including their updated floors and rooms.

Wearing a Saint James Striped T-Shirt, J.Crew Red Pleated Shorts, Sperry Top Sider Striped Boat Shoes, Kate Spade Purse (old, similar)

The city was 85 degrees and sunny so we stopped off at a Blue Bottle Coffee for some single origin cold brews and a little snack before tea time. I was totally hitting hangry time.

The Palace renovated entire floors. I was there during the construction so it was awesome to see it finally finished. The rooms and the new floors look amazing. It’s a great combination of the classic San Francisco look with some added2 modern elegance. 

We decided to have a later afternoon tea, since we were totally starving and it was just as perfect as I remember. They updated their tiny savory sandwiches and they were so good, we had to have an extra plate. Although, after eating ALL that and the three tiers of desserts, we had to take a quick catnap in the room. TOO much food. 

Another part of the hotel that they renovated was the pool inside their giant glass atrium. I’ve stayed at the hotel before, but I had NO clue they even had a pool so I had to check it out. The atrium keeps the inside the perfect temperature for swimming at all hours, which is good because the pool is open from 5 a.m. to 10 p.m. 

We got to sleep in on Sunday, well J.P. slept in. I can never seem to sleep past 8 a.m. After his relaxing morning lie in, we ordered WAY too much food from room service, but it made perfect for a second and third breakfast. In certain hotels, room service can be a disappointment, but that was so NOT the case with The Palace. Hats off to their chefs and whoever sources their produce because everything we ate was delicious, right down to their signature blend coffee. It’s definitely worth the money to relax in your room and enjoy some quality time.

We had to take one last dip in the pool before we left so I pulled out my new floating flamingo coaster to test out in open waters. It was a fantastic little staycation!

My phone is basically my lifeline. I’m on it basically 24/7; it’s the first thing I grab in the morning and the last thing I check at night. Even if I’m not using it, it’s always nearby and I’m constantly on the lookout for great new apps to make my life a little bit easier.

I have all the usual favorites: Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, but I’ve also got some other apps. that do wonders for making my life a bit easier.

Snapseed // My favorite app for editing photos. It’s great for me because I can do tiny tweaks just to brighten it up or make it a bit sharper to get the look I’m going for. My favorite tweak is adding a bit of ambiance to my photos to just give them  a bit more color and light.

1Password // If you are someone who can never seem to remember their password for anything and end up resetting them more times than you would like, then you NEED to get the 1password app. You  can add in every login you have to the application and it will be a million times easier to log in when you need it. I’m constantly getting booted out of my HBOGO and my password is crazy long so being able to quickly use my fingerprint to log into my 1password app and being able to easily copy/paste the login has removed all of that forgotten password stress.

Square Cash // I hate trying to figure out the check at the end of the meal, who owes what and how to transfer the cash. Square cash makes it so much easier to quickly and easily transfer an exact amount to a friend whenever I need to. It’s a totally free app. and great for splitting tabs at a bar or paying your half of a restaurant check.

Instacart // I have been ridiculously busy lately and have zero time to shop for normal things like groceries. It means I have been eating out… a lot and, besides that’s it’s just healthier to eat at home, I definitely miss the taste of home cooked food. Instacart helps me solve the time dilemma when it comes to getting groceries. I can order anything and everything I need from Safeway, Costco, Mollie Stone’s, etc. and have it delivered to me on any day I need at almost any time. I love perusing through the app. and being able to stock up on all my dessert/snack/frozen food favorites and have them delivered to me when I have a bit of time. I never have to miss my favorite ice cream sandwiches again!

RueLaLa // Another huge time saver when it comes to my online shopping is RueLaLa. I don’t always have time to shop on my computer, but the app. makes it easy to scroll through the deals of the day and checkout is even easier. I never have to miss out on a cute new shoe, dress or top!

My Fitness Pal // I’ve been working harder on eating healthy lately and this app. definitely helps. I can input my calories for the day and it syncs with my fitbit app to also calculate my exercise adjustment. It’s good for keeping me accountable for what I eat so I know when I shouldn’t reach for that extra cookie… or when I can!