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Yumi Kim Floral Romper

When you open the window and feel the air is DEFINITELY warm and the sun is shining, there is nothing to do but throw on a colorful floral romper and head to a brunch spot with outdoor seating. That’s one woman’s opinion at least.
This Yumi Kim Liz silk romper has been showing up a lot in my what to wear this weekend outfits. I wear a romper at least once a week and this one pops into the rotation fairly often. I mean, it’s the perfect romper to don for Floral Fridays at our office. It gets special consideration since it can easily be dressed up or down AND has pockets too (pockets are so necessary). I’ve definitely had to resist picking up a romper in every single print.

 

I paired the dress with suede sandals that I picked from the J.Crew Factory website last year. They required no breaking in which is always a good sign for shoes and the slight twist in design this year is super cute, with the addition of a little top knot over the toes.

 

I also decided to pull out this foldover clutch that I picked up from the Who What Wear Target collection. This little color-blocked clutch with a tassel detail is great for throwing in a bigger purse to keep yourself a touch more organized, but it also works on its own. It’s roomy enough for all of your brunch essentials, including a small wallet, compact, lipstick, hand cream, sunscreen, chapstick and a reusable bag to pull out if you’re planning to do some extra shopping.

 

Romper // Shoes (old, similar) // Purse

 

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Lilly Pulitzer in Palm Springs

I feel like summer is the perfect time to take a load off, take a long vacation and just REALLY relax. At least for me, it seems to be one of the only times in the year where I force myself to disconnect a bit from my ‘always at my side’ phone and ‘never be more than a few hours without’ laptop. While I rarely take more than two-three days off at a time (hi, my name is brenda + I’m a workaholic), even disconnecting for two or three days is the perfect opportunity for me to just zen out and think about nothing.
For me, summer always starts Memorial Day weekend when my boyfriend and I head to Palm Springs for the long weekend to sit poolside at the Ace Hotel. It’s the perfect place to sit, do absolutely NOTHING and enjoy tropical drinks and tasty snacks while you flip through that stack of magazines you’ve been meaning to go through for months now.
The 90 degree weather gave me the best opportunity to pull out a new Lilly Pulitzer favorite. Lilly and summer seem to go together hand in hand and whenever I’m in a Lilly dress, no matter where I am, it makes me feel as if I was sitting in an adirondack chair in Nantucket enjoying the summer sun. Now that’s a bit of magic, especially if I’m sitting in an overly air-conditioned desk chair in my office.
The Ace is perfect for those looking to spend a few days doing absolutely nothing. With amazing room service, a gym, a spa, a puppy park and two different pools you’re pretty much set for everything you might need. We always go for a room with a small private deck with a fireplace so we can eat room service on our little patio, enjoying the warm air.
Seriously, I never wanted to leave.

 

 

The Valli Printed Shift Dress in Resort White La Via Loca was the perfect dress to wear to brunch on our last day in Palm Springs. I was worried that the 4 might not fit over my kinda large chest, but as I put it on, any worries were erased. It did a great job of hugging my body and the slight v-neck showed a hint of cleavage without showing too much.

Like so many Lilly dresses, I just couldn’t get over how much I love the print. That, and the fact that it was a seersucker like fabric had me sold the minute I slipped it on.

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Seersucker Dress

Once May finally hits, I feel like I can start storing all my winter clothes and start to pull out all of my warm weather favorites. I’ve definitely been online shopping like it’s the middle of Summer so my sundresses are in huge supply right now.
I think one of my newest favorite dresses is from this designer that I just discovered called Southern fRock. Their style totally reminds me of Lilly Pulitzer and it just makes me love that much more. I’ve never owned a seersucker dress before and now I can’t imagine life without at least one. It’s so light and breathable that it makes it perfect for any super hot day where you feel like you might get a little bit sweaty.

I loved the vertical stripes and the fit and flare style was perfect for brunching about town.

I think another reason I’ve been in love with this dress is the pockets! YES, how do dresses exist today that don’t have pockets. It makes it so much easier to carry my phone and favorite lip color of the moment when I have a small pocket to throw it into.

 

Dress (1, 2, 3, 4) // Kate Spade Purse // Tieks // Sunnies
Style

MinkPink Striped Romper

Now that the weather is getting warmer, I’ve definitely been stocking up some warm weather essentials for my spring/summer closet. And this weekend’s 70+ weather gave me the perfect excuse to pull out one of my new favorite pieces and parade around. Stripes, blue and pockets, oh my!


When it comes to all things striped, my closet is chock full and I can never seem to get enough. Add a little bit of my favorite color (BLUE) and a few pockets and I can tell that this romper will definitely be a part of my daily uniform.

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Blue Spotted Romper

I think I may have gone a little romper crazy lately, but when it comes to a comfy look that’s also got some serious style, they’re my easiest go to look. Rue La La has become my new go to for all things online shopping. When it comes to spiffing up my wardrobe, with a full time and crazy work schedule, it’s almost impossible for me to find the time to set aside to hit the mall and scour through the racks for some one of a kind finds, but Rue La La has been making it so easy for me. I already have my sizes saved in the app which seriously cuts down on the time it takes for me to find an item I like and quickly get it before it’s gone. One of my first and favorite finds was this Eight Sixty Surplice Romper. 
The long sleeves make it totally work appropriate (yay for start up life!) and it even has a snap button closure to keep my cleavage in check. It also gets serious bonus points for having pockets to stash my phone and lipstick in. The fun polka dot print just makes it so much more vibrant and a serious mix up from my usual striped dresses or solid prints. 
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Yumi Kim Floral Dress

I am SO ready for summer. In fact, I wouldn’t mind if we just skipped April all together and went straight to Memorial Day Weekend. Sorry April, no hard feelings. The weather has just been so up and down lately, going from warm and sunny to cold and foggy in an instant so when a patch of sunshine came in, I knew I needed to act quick. I threw on my new favorite floral dress, grabbed some sunnies and immediately headed to lunch. 

I was all for wearing a jacket, but within five minutes of leaving the house and walking to one of my favorite lunch spots, Tacolicious (hello amazing guacamole!), I got way too hot and needed to take it off. Thankfully, it gave me the perfect opportunity to show off my new favorite in floral dresses. I picked up this Yumi Kim dress in an awesome sale on Gilt. I was on the hunt for a few dresses that would shake up my stripe dress filled closet and this zipper backed floral print dress was just the ticket. Since then, I’ve been practically obsessed with Yumi Kim. Her prints are just so upbeat, vibrant and fun. They put me in a better mood just by throwing one on.

As far as jewelry goes, if I’m ever rocking a statement piece, you can almost always be sure it’s a piece I picked up from Bauble Bar. I’m a little weary when it comes to wearing anything other than my everyday earrings and the occasional minimalist necklace, but when it comes to showing off, Bauble Bar is my one stop jewelry shop. They always have the perfect accessory to doll up a plain outfit or if I’m ever looking to make a serious style statement.

Dress // Purse // Shoes (old, similar) // Watch // Sunglasses // Necklace
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Floral Ruffle Top

Now I know that Spring isn’t exactly here yet, but we’ve been having a week of sunny and warm weather in SF and I’ve been taking FULL advantage. While I can’t quite break out the sundresses yet, I did find this super cute floral Rebecca Taylor crop top that I needed to find an occasion to wear it out and about. Sunday brunch was just the reason.

In all honesty, I first saw the top on Young & Hungry and did some google searching to find out where I can pick up one of my own. It’s just such a cute and happy print that it puts me in a good mood just to look at. Obviously, I needed it.
While it was sunny and warm, San Francisco weather can change on a dime so I knew I had to pair the flowery, short sleeve top with a pants and jacket. These pants have become an instant staple in my wardrobe. They’re incredibly comfy and I love that I can dress them up or down. I’ve bought them in practically every color and you’ll find me in a pair (at least) once a week. 

As for as impulse buys go, this purse has been one of my best ones. I usually do my research before buying a purse. I’ll go visit in the store and give it a second and even third and fourth look before making the buy. This time around, it was a definitely see-buy-wear sort of thing, but one I haven’t regretted. Always a good sign!

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Valentine’s Day Outfit Ideas

I think dressing up for Valentine’s Day is always a lot of fun. Whether you’re dressing up for a night with your favorite S.O. or glamming yourself up for a fun night with your girls, standing out is always the goal. I rarely go for red or pink dresses so Valentine’s Day has always been the perfect excuse to go all out in those particular colors. Whether you’re headed out for a night on the town or a quiet dinner for two, check out my Valentine’s Day outfit inspiration below. 
Outfit 1: Dress // Necklace // Shoes // Purse
Outfit 2: Dress // Necklace // Shoes // Purse // Earrings

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Boden Must Have Tunic

I really love when I find a dress that I love so much, I feel that I have to buy it almost every color. That’s definitely been the case with this ‘must have tunic’ from Boden clothing. It’s been raining like crazy for the last few weeks so finding outfits that make me feel cosy at home and at work have been so necessary lately. This dress totally fits the bill with fitted shape, draped jersey fabric and 3/4 length sleeve.

Since there was a sudden break in the rain, I opted to grab coffee in my favorite suede Sawyer boots from J.Crew Factory. I love shoes that require no breaking and are comfy right off the bat.  

The prints on these dresses are so cute. The dark horses running all over the dress always remind me that song ‘wild horses’. The dress also comes in a sparrows print for all the bird lovers. 
This purse has become my new go-to for long workdays/work weekends where I might need to drag around my laptop, my notebooks, planners, coffee cup, a book or two and maybe a few snacks, (basically my whole life in a bag). The bag definitely has the appeal of helping me look more put together when I’m heading into work.
Dress // Shoes // Purse (old, similar)