Fall Hues

☆ Shirt - Free People ☆ Jeans - Rag & Bone ☆ Shoes - Converse ☆

School has been so hectic lately but now that I have gotten into the swing of things, I am very happy to say that I will finally be able to start blogging again. The weather has completely changed and I have sorted through my wardrobe and chosen the pieces for this new season. Here in LA, we are fortunate enough to still be able to wear t-shirts and shorts, but now that the air is crisper and it's a bit chillier, I have started wearing sweaters, jeans, boots, etc. This outfit is one of my transition outfits because it keeps me warm, but still hangs on a bit to summer. The embroidered top has great sleeves that flow and vibrant colors that really go well with any dark hue, my example being the maroon colored pants. I wore white converse because I wanted the outfit to serve a very casual purpose, but brown or gray boots would go great with it also. Xx

Beachy Keen

☆ Skirt - Forever 21 ☆ Shirt - Aritzia ☆ Cardigan - Uniqlo ☆

I've been living in this skirt this summer and this cardigan too. They are both perfect for warm weather and when put together, provide a stylish layered look. They are great for wearing to the beach because of the simplicity of the clothes and the laid back vibe. When I go to the beach, I don't really want to wear my favorite pair of pants and a button down shirt, but I want to look put together. This outfit is fab for a casual occasion because it looks good and feels good at the same time. If I had to pick a pair of shoes for this outfit, I'd probably go with Birkenstocks or strappy sandals.

Basics + Beige

☆ Dress - Zara ☆ Cardigan - Uniqlo ☆ Sandals - Michael Kors ☆ Bracelet - DIY ☆

Summer is perfect for short  and simple dresses, but later in the afternoon it's nice to also layer something on top. This woven cardigan is a slightly different shade of beige but still looks great with the playful pocket dress that I am wearing. Sandals, as always, look great with this type of outfit, and especially gladiator-ish sandals. For a softer look, I added the ponytail and some dainty jewlery.Xx

Short and Sweet

☆ Shirt - Zara ☆ Shorts - Zara ☆ Sandals - Michael Kors ☆

This shorts immediately called my name when I spotted them. I mean, the colors are beautiful, the print is eclectic and the length is perfect. I have been wearing them nonstop since I got them with basic tees. But, I tried them with this crisp, white, button down shirt and I loved it. I added the sandals because they have become my staple shoes this summer. I wear my hair up a lot more in the summer rather than fall or winter, so I decided to go for this ponytail with a few pieces hanging out, to soften up the look. You can try this look by wearing any printed shorts you have and adding a fancier type shirt to them! Xx

Summer Baking

As you may or may not know, one of my favorite hobbies is baking. My go to desserts usually contain chocolate, but I also love to bake with fruit and I am especially inspired to bake with them in the summer. This is the recipe for my favorite lemon tart. You can surely purchase a pre-made crust, but it's easy enough to make one yourself and then fill it with this delicious and tangy lemon filling! Add some raspberries and dust it with a light coating of powdered sugar and you'll have a dessert that looks as good as it tastes! xx

Lemon Tart

Yields one 8-inch tart

Pastry:

1 1/4 cup flour

1/4 cup sugar

4oz. butter, slightly soft, cut into 1/2-inch dice

1 egg yolk

1 tsp. vanilla

Preheat the oven to 400º Fahrenheit. Combine the flour and sugar. Cut in the butter until it looks like coarse meal. Combine the egg and vanilla. Add to flour butter mixture. Stir, then briefly knead to form a dough. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate 1/2 hour. Roll to fill tart pan. Blind bake (10-15 minutes with weight, 10-15 minutes without weight).

Lemon Curd:

2 whole eggs

2 egg yolks

1/2 cup sugar

zest from 1 lemon

3 oz. lemon juice

4 oz. butter, cut in dice

Preheat oven to 350º Fahrenheit. Combine the eggs, yolks, sugar, juice, and zest over a bain marie. Add butter and cook, whisking occasionally until thick. Strain into the tart shell. Bake until set, about 5-10 minutes.

Spring with an Edge

☆ Dress - Zara ☆ Leather Jacket - Abercrombie ☆ Shoes - Zigi Soho ☆ 

Time to put away the pants and coats and dig up those mini skirts and short jackets because it finally feels like spring! The weather has been much warmer lately and everyone (at least in Cali) is wearing shorts and tees! This is my transition outfit, because I don't want to totally ditch winter! I have to keep my short leather jacket because it's versatile. I wore it with this simple dress and some tall retro shoes to make the look a bit edgier. Swipe on a smoky eye and some messy hair and there you have it: the edgy spring look. Perfect for spring because of the weather and perfect for those of us who don't want to fully leave winter because of the leather jacket! Have fun experimenting… xx

Trending: Mirrored Love

Top / Middle (Similar here) / Bottom

Aviator sunglasses have always been the "it" shades, but now there's a new trend taking over in the fashion world that is making everyone swoon. Mirrored sunglasses are super popular and they are a very typical California cool look, yet they also incorporate some fun color. My favorites are the green and blue mirrored sunglasses, but the yellow ones are also rad. What do you think of the new mirrored lens trend?  xx

Monochrome Madness

☆ Coat - H&M ☆ Shirt - Forever 21 ☆ Chain - Forever 21 ☆ Pants - The Runway Outlet ☆ Shoes - Gucci ☆ 

People would assume that monochrome is very boring because it is all based on one color, but if you delve in deeper to explore monochrome, you can encompass different shades and textures of that same color. Grey is a classic, because it's perfect for those of us who just can't decide whether to wear black or white. I call it my compromise color. So, instead of wearing boring, bleh grey, I wore three different shades of grey with intricate detailing on my shirt and pants. My shirt is quilted, so if you get up close, there are small geometric diamonds, and on my pants are crazy cool curves and lines. For a fun touch, when it got colder in the day, I threw on my leopard print jacket, because really, what doesn't go with leopard print?! Xx

Babydoll Meets Birkenstock

☆ Top - Wilfred ☆ Jean Jacket - Levi's ☆ Jeans - Zara ☆ Shoes - Birkenstock ☆

Birkenstocks are back! And I'm loving it. The Birkenstock shoe is an ultimate classic, because of its comfortable nature. The shoe is utterly cushiony and perfect for spring weather. However, Birkenstocks have not always been the loved shoe that they are at the moment! The Birkenstock style shoe is a hit right now because people have finally figured out how to wear them in a stylish way. Birkenstocks can have a hippie feel to them, but when paired with the right outfit, they can be totally rad. I paired mine with a lacy, black Babydoll style shirt, creating a very sweet and playful look that is balanced and easy. I would definitely pair a printed dress with the shoes or even leggings and a crop top. What do you think of the re-emerging Birkenstock trend? Yay or Nay? xx

The Clash

☆ Shirt - J.Crew ☆ Skirt - Zara ☆ Knee Socks - Topshop ☆ Shoes - Vans ☆ Phone Case - Marc Jacobs ☆

Ever since clashing prints became "okay" in the fashion world, I have fully taken advantage of the hit trend. Wearing two prints at the same time is bold and shows a wild side to someone! In this case, I clashed plaid and a tribal print, but the moral is that you can really put any prints together that you want! The only thing that I suggest, is having some connection between the two prints, whether it be color, texture, or shape. What two prints would you, or have you paired? xx

Denim Diaries

☆ Beanie - Stella McCartney for Gap ☆ Sweater - Zara ☆ Jeans - Joe's ☆ Shoes - Vans ☆

Living in California, you see a lot of people rocking the skater chic trend and I have definitely adapted to wearing that look a lot with my denim. It's simple, yet not boring and the easiest way to do so is to wear one (or both) of two accessories: the beanie and slip-ons. My slip-ons have easily become my favorite pair of shoes in my closet because they are emblematic of effortless chic. Below I listed some of my fave pairs of slip on sneakers… xx

Splurge: Joie//Rachel Zoe//Blonde Salad x Steve Madden//Zara

Steal: Rivieras//Forever 21//Vans//Zara

7 Days, 7 Ways: The Boyfriend Sweater, Part 7

☆ Sweater - Forever 21 ☆ Tank - Boody ☆ Leggings - LuluLemon ☆ Shoes - Nike ☆

Because this is my last 7 Days, 7 Ways post, I thought I would give you a way to wear the sweater that is part of everyday life. When I go to exercise, I usually throw on my leggings, a tank, and a sweater, in this case my boyfriend sweater. I hope I've demonstrated that one piece of clothing can create many different looks. More posts will be coming very soon!! xx

7 Days, 7 Ways: The Boyfriend Sweater, Part 6

☆ Boyfriend Sweater - Forever 21 ☆ White Shirt - James Perse ☆ Pants - Pinc ☆ Boots - Jeffrey Campbell ☆

I recently scored a new fisheye lens for my iPhone and I have fallen in love. I take it everywhere I go and I am obsessed with landscapes using the fisheye lens. I was experimenting with my lens at the beach and it just so happened to be a beautiful day so I decided to shoot a couple of photos for the blog. This is a really casual look because it only involves two colors. You can translate it with different items of clothing, the message is the monochromatic look. (The simple white tee is an absolute staple in everybody's closet and as you can see, it's very versatile.)  At the bottom I've included one of my favorite photos that I took on the beach! xx

7 Days, 7 Ways: The Boyfriend Sweater, Part 5

 ☆ Boyfriend Sweater - Forever 21 ☆ Sweater - Zara ☆ Pants - JBrand ☆ Bag - H&M ☆ Shoes - Nike ☆

Believe it or not, I used to play basketball and one of my favorite things about playing was the shoes. Everywhere you looked on the court, there were all different colored basketball shoes with personalized names, splattered paint, even little stuffed animals on them. While I stopped my career a couple of years ago, I kept my basketball shoes and they are still a staple in my closet. When I was shopping for shoes years ago, I opted for the black and white pair because I knew that they would go with everything, but sometimes I wish I had gone with a flashier pair of purple and green kicks or something that would really stand out! That said, I absolutely love my shoes and they can be worn for athletic purposes or in this case, for fashion purposes. Worn here with a basic sweater, black jeans, a simple black bag, and my boyfriend cardigan, they make this look just a bit more sporty! xx

Valentine's Day Love List

1//2//3//4//5//6//7

Whenever Valentine's Day approaches, we all think of pink and red roses along with heart shaped chocolate. Of course, that's the cliche gift to give and while that's totally cute and traditional too, it's also fun to mix it up while still keeping the tradition of rosy pinks, and bright reds. I have selected my personal favorites for this Valentine's Day and I think that they are all absolutely adorable picks. xx

7 Days, 7 Ways: The Boyfriend Sweater, Part 4

☆ Dress - AllSaints ☆ Boyfriend Sweater - Forever 21 ☆ Shoes - Jeffrey Campbell ☆ 

Whenever I think of the boyfriend look, I think of three words: casual, effortless, chic. When I was picking through my closet the other day, I stumbled across my absolute favorite dress (the color is so rich and the draping is stunning..) and I put it on for my birthday dinner. For us Californians, it was a bit chilly,  so I looked through my closet for about the third time in order to pick out just the right garment to wear on top. I really did not think of wearing my boyfriend sweater, but because it has been on my radar recently, I thought why not give it a go. I threw it on and low and behold it actually looked really good with my dress, and I realized that the boyfriend look does not only have to be worn with casual clothes, but can also put an unexpected twist on dressier clothes. xx

iChic.

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My favorite chic iPhone cases of this month. Love them all because they are so stylish yet practical. xx

7 Days, 7 Ways: The Boyfriend Sweater, Part 3

☆ Beanie - Neff ☆ Sweater - Forever 21 ☆ Scarf - Paris ☆ Shirt - Peek ☆ Jeans - Zara ☆ Loafers - My Mom's Closet ☆

Somedays, when I feel like tapping into my inner Parisian, I feel the need to throw on a scarf and loafers and call it a day. As Leonardo da Vinci once said, "Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication." By taking simple clothes and putting them all together, I have created a look that I would absolutely wear anytime or any place. The sweater matches the shoes and the hat and therefore fits right in. More to come! xx

7 Days, 7 Ways: The Boyfriend Sweater, Part 2

 ☆ Sweater - Forever 21 ☆ Tee - Peek ☆ Jeans - J Brand ☆ Shoes - Jeffrey Campbell ☆

Honestly, I don't know what I would do without black. This all black outfit is so simple, yet because I'm wearing slightly different shades mixed with layering, it doesn't come across as boring. The sweater provides a more polished look, channeling my style goddesses, the Olsen twins! This is one of my go-to looks for school because I can easily put it on in the morning and I know that I'll be satisfied with my look during the day. xx

7 Days, 7 Ways: The Boyfriend Sweater, Part 1

☆ Sweater - Forever 21 ☆ Overalls - Forever 21 ☆ Shirt - ASOS ☆ Hat - Supreme ☆ Shoes - My Mom's Closet ☆

I'm a big fan of investing in basics because they can be worn over and over again, yet still create stylish looks! This week, I have chosen to showcase one of my favorite pieces of clothing: the boyfriend sweater. Over the next several posts, I will show you seven different ways to incorporate the boyfriend sweater into your weekly repertoire. I picked up this particular chunky knit from Forever 21, and I love it because it keeps me warm, while giving me a more completed look. xx