Fallacious Fall

I said fallicious fall because here in southern California, I will be waiting several more weeks until fall is actually here. When I can leave my house with boots on my feet, a slice of pumpkin bread with a schmear of cream cheese on it and a cup of caramel apple cider in my hand. No, unfortunately, summer will be here much longer than I would like in California. It isn't helping seeing the beautiful fall clothing collections, the cute boots and the gorgeous jackets while I tromp off to the pool in my bikini to get some relief from the heat. 

In the meantime, I will stare longingly at my fall lust list, wishing, hoping and praying that fall might show up a tinsy bit earlier this year so I can start indulging more layers, bundling up and cuddling up a bit more. Enjoy my Friday's Fancies fall lust list.

If you need to start you fall shopping started or continue with any of these great items below, here is where you can find each of the items posted.
1. Hat Attack (watch for a giveaway for a fall hat from their collection on my blog soon)
2. Old Navy leather jacket
3. Anthropologie striped clutch
4. Madewell colorblock cardigan
5. Fossil boots
6. Urban Outfitters polka dot blouse
7.Twig and Willow candle
8. Downeast Basics striped sweater
9. DSW glitter booties

What do you all have planned for the weekend? Tonight Sean and I are having some friends over for a make-you-own-pizza night, we are providing the dough, the sauce, the toppings, and the cheese, our friends provide their creativity in making their own pizza. Saturday is a 12 mile run, only 4 weeks left until the half marathon. Church will definitely be happening and then we will see what else comes out.. see you all on Monday. Have a great weekend!

I'm doing what on Labor Day?

What do you all have planned for this weekend? Tomorrow I gotta run my butt for 10 miles and get my highlights touched up. Sean and I have a wedding to attend in a little town called Hemet, where I think I need to bring my bullet-proof vest. Hemet isn't exactly known for being Mayberry.

Sunday will be church and a rest day/prepare for the breakfast madness on Monday. Sean has asked me to do labor on my day off, the labor is making breakfast for his team, all 38 of them. I'm thinking cinnamon rolls, eggs, sausage/bacon, fruit and lots of coffee for me!

So this week's Friday's Fancies, the end is in sight, which I think refers to summer although here in California, it will still be hot for a good while, could be late October, could be November. So I will continue to wear my shorts, maxi skirts and enjoy the heat.
Here is the outfit I created for this week's Friday's Fancies. Enjoy!

Here are a few of my outfits this past week.

I got this black dress from ON for $10, when I bought it, it was a random pick from the rack and I think it is an online sale only but someone ended up not wanting it and returned it to the store. You can find the dress in stores now along with leopard and red but you won't find it for $10 ;-)

I had to do a little re-touch on Kip, didn't want his manly parts hanging out for all the world to see.

I love my red denim and polka dot chambray, best purchases ever.

I wore this outfit to the Gloriana concert I went to on Monday night, yah don't think I could get away with shorts and boots to work. It was an awesome concert by the way!

Lastly, an outfit showing off my carpentry skills, actually I was helping Sean with a house project that I will post up next week.
The t-shirt with the leather pocket was a I need Mom's help project while I was in Tucson last week. Moms are good for things like that, you know :-)

Have a great weekend all.

How do you wear a sunset?

It's Friday and that means Sean returns home tonight, yippee! I have cooked him his favorite dinner, short ribs over polenta, they are cooking away in the slow cooker today (yup used it again). And we get to smooch and smooch and hang out all night and all weekend minus Sunday night when I am going with a friend to the Colbie Caillat/Gavin DeGraw concert.

I love sunsets which was the theme for this week's Friday's Fancies. They are a beautiful part of the day, and all next week I will be viewing gorgeous sunsets.

To re-create a sunset in an outfit was an interesting challenge but I hope you see somewhat of a sunset in my outfit.

With Sean being gone all week, I didn't have any to take photos of me wearing my outfits. I did hang out with a few friends but I felt weird asking them can you take my picture while I pose or twirl around or just act silly for the camera?
I did the next best thing I could, I laid out my outfits that I wore this past work week and snapped photos for you.
Hope you appreciate my attempts to give provide outfits sans a photographer.

This top is the polka dot chambray top from ON I featured on Tuesday. True story: I went to my local ON and they were all out of my size but I saw the shirt on a mannequin, I grabbed the tag and it was my size. I quickly flagged a sales associate down to take the shirt off the mannequin before someone else snatched it from underneath me.

 Regular chambray shirt, no polka dots.
 Come on, I am not the type to wear the same shirt two days in a row.

And my favorite colored denim right now, red.

I realized too that I am really into the royal blue, white and black palette lately. Look!

Have a great weekend all!

Gingham Gaggle

Gingham gaggle? Yes a gingham gaggle because each week a group of us bloggers decide to join in the Friday's Fancies series and it makes us a gaggle, a flock and today we are all proudly wearing our gingham feathers.

I never really thought of myself as a gingham fan per say, I like to wear some plaid but they are so similar, I guess I could say I am a gingham fan by default.

To go along with my gingham-inspired look and my attempt to insert more of me into the blog, I have a few outfits that I wore this past week. Granted, these are my work attire outfits, I hope you all don't mind.

Now just a few of my outfits this past week.

I wore the above outfit to work with black wedges and changed into the sandals after work because we were walking around at a farmers market and it has been really hot here in California.
Question: does any have any tips for taking photos? I just feel awkward in front of the camera and not sure how to pose.
Hope you all have a great weekend, Leeann of Join the Gossip and I are hanging out at the Getty Villa, so I know I will have a wonderful weekend. See you all on Monday!

A Blank Canvas

There is nothing I love more than a white t-shirt. To me, it is a blank canvas. It is be dressed down with a pair of jeans, a simple necklace and a natural make-up. Or it can be dressed with some heels, a beautiful printed skirt and a fabulous black leather jacket. A white tee is a must for every girl's wardrobe just like a LBD (little black dress). 

I love to get my tees at F21, they fit like a glove, the v-neck isn't too deep and the length is perfect on my torso. I have tried and tried again to like the tees at Target but they always failed me. 

I created this on the go look and I love the look of a coral necklace with a green army jacket for some reason.

What are you doing this weekend? Tomorrow, Sean and I are hanging out with this pretty lady and her husband at a Padres game. Go Padres!
Have a wonderful weekend all.

I'm a Georgia peach (pie)

Ok I have to admit something, I am no Georgia peach, in fact I have never ever been to Georgia. But for this week's Friday's Fancies featuring a my favorite summer treat in the version of an outfit, I have to pick peach pie and of course it is a la mode! I love a fresh, summer pie and what better way to capture the sweetness of peaches than in a pie topped with a delicious scoop of vanilla ice cream. 

I did two looks for this week, one a more formal look and the other more casual.

The heels and boots I selected tan to represent the golden brown color the crust should be when the pie is fully cooked. The dress is the peaches and then I incorporated something cream or white into each outfit to represent the a la mode!

In fact, now after creating this outfit and writing this post, I am craving a fresh peach pie. Actually, I did a post of a peach pie I made last summer, here is the recipe and I also have a recipe for a peach and blueberry galette if you are looking for another peach recipe.
Maybe I will make one this weekend. Speaking of weekend, tonight with a date with my husband, 21 Choices, which is a frozen yogurt shop similar to Cold Stone where add-ins are mixed on a frozen surface accompanied by an outdoor movie in Pasadena.
Have a great weekend all!

You are Making Me Gucci

Did you enter my $75 Shabby Apple giveaway? It closes on July 26.
Ah Europe, how I love thee!
With all your wonderful chocolates, history and delicious foods, I need to visit you again soon!

 When Allison said European wear for this week's Friday's Fancies, I thought yes! But then my heart sank, how the heck do you dress European? I mean French is a category all its own, and those French women definitely know how to dress. During my European travels, I definitely have gotten a taste of the European fashions and they are definitely very different from here.
The few places I have visited thus far in Europe have been Vienna, Austria (for a semester abroad), Budapest, Czech Republic, The Netherlands (Amsterdam and Leiden) and then to Italy twice, up and down the entire peninsula.

For my Friday's Fancies, my European inspired outfit is all Italian, in fact it is all Gucci, which is how I would dress if I was sipping my espresso eating my plate of spaghetti dining alfresco while in Venice. Venice was a gorgeous city to visit, in fact I have been there twice and would love to take Sean there one day.

When I was studying in Vienna, my roommate was a sweet Italian girl named Lucia and we have managed to keep in touch and visit each other occasionally since we were roommates in 2005. 

Here are a few photos of Venice when I went to visit her back in 2006.

Sorry for the photos, I am just setting the stage for my all-Gucci European look 

for this week's Friday's Fancies.

Ok maybe not very Italian looking, but then again what is the Italian way to dress? I defaulted to an Italian designer to cover my bases :-)
Have a great weekend all, I know I will because I am hanging out with these gorgeous ladies Katie, Jamie and Kasey.

How to Dress for a Wedding

Let's see, it is  Friday, can I get a woohoo and it is Friday's Fancies, can I get another woohoo!! What are your weekend plans? Tomorrow we are probably keep it low-key because Sunday through Monday, Sean and I are off to celebrate our 2nd wedding anniversary and then if you want to count July 18 as the 3rd anniversary of when he proposed. The deal for us is he plans the odd-numbered year anniversaries and I plan the even. He doesn't know what we are doing so I can't write about it just in case he does decided to read today's post.

Today's Friday's Fancies of wedding guest attire is actually a perfect lead into next week because I am sharing more of our wedding, the details, the particulars, etc. 

Anyways I will say this about wedding guest attire, please be appropriate. 

At our wedding, I came back from our honeymoon and all my co-workers asked me who was that girl who was practically wearing a t-shirt? I think technically it was a dress but it easily be as an extra long t-shirt. Additionally, we had a guest who wore a little too short yellow dress with white shorts underneath the dress, not appropriate.

When it comes to appropriate guest attire, the invitation should tell you all. If the invitation is rather fancy, dress fancy. Sometimes more fancy weddings will instruct on the invitations, black-tie required. 

Do some research about the venue where the ceremony and reception will take place.

This is the outfit I created for this week's Friday's Fancies.

There you have it! Have a great weekend everyone!

Bachelorette Tuesday #9

Episode number 9 of Emily's season as the bachelorette! First off, I am really excited that they are filming in a location I have been too so far there has been Prague and now Curacao. Last summer, Sean, his family and I visited the island last summer on a cruise. Curacao was absolutely gorgeous and yes if you were wondering Curacao is the island that makes the blue liquer, blue curacao. However, they also make many other colors and flavors as well, but I am digressing. Also the brightly painted buildings they are all over and are so unique to the island.

So we are down to the final three, Jef, Sean and Arie. 

Ok Emily you are saying that Sean will always be there for you no matter what, you need to listen to yourself. I feel you should want in a guy someone who will always be there for you no matter what. 

That is so important in a marriage knowing that your partner will be there for you no matter what and that is my almost two years of marriage experience talking. Anyone married longer than me out there that want to second that advice?

Ahh, Jef with one f, you were in the friends zone for awhile there in the beginning but you picked up speed  ending last week with that sweet note.

Then Arie, you are the wildcard in my opinion, you two go hot and then cold and then hot again...

Sean's date:

I want to go on my own private island and hang out there all day, I mean how gorgeous would that be.

And Sean no you didn't forget what you were going to say, you were trying to say to her, I love you, idiot! Did anyone else want to shake him through the TV and tell him, just say it already?

Finally, he said it! I think both of them had a ton of class to walk away from each other in the evening and Sean was so sweet saying he didn't need to spend those few extra hours to be sure. 

Jef's date:

They are so cute together for sure! I don't have too much else to say about the date except wasn't Emily's dress amazing. At the bottom of this re-cap, I will share a few of my favorite fashion item from the show. Jef shows so much respect to Emily by not spending the night with her and recognizing her role as a mom, good move Jef,

Arie's date:

I loved Emily' cover-up but unfortunately where you can purchase the cover-up is still being discovered. Swimming with dolphins is such a cute, fun date. I would love the opportunity to swim with dolphins. 

Emily looks really good with just straight hair, doesn't she? Why hasn't she worn her hair like that before? Very pretty and I liked her wooden beads necklace she was wearing during dinner. Oh poor Arie no fantasy date option...

Rose ceremony:
The dreaded fake hair clip-on makes another appearance, oh my. Emily showed absolutely no emotion when watching the videos, I first thought that maybe it was because it was Sean in the video and it was because she was sending him home but then during Jef and Arie's video, she was stoic, completely stone face. Jef gets the first rose.. and then Arie. What?? What happened to Sean? Ugh! My heart is just breaking into a million pieces... my favorite one axed last night. Emily, oh Emily what a bad decision.
Ugh my heart is breaking for Sean...

Here are some of my favorite fashions from the show. 

Going clock-wise, the blue dress is from LNA for $143, the white maxi is from Nordstroms, the beaded dress is from AllSaints for $346 and the studs are from Towne and Reese for $25.
There you have it, another episode, another re-cap and now there are two guys remaining. What do you think a proposal in two weeks?

Summer Shorts Shenanigans

It is finally becoming shorts whether in CA and by shorts weather for me I need it to be in the 80s. No 70ish temps give me hot hot. Obviously that means shedding of layers and clothing and I have deemed my summer outfit attire to be primarily fun, cute blouses with shorts. Yes shorts, a few years ago you couldn't have caught me in anything but jeans during the summer, yes I know jeans. But I was scared to death of showing off my legs in shorts. Now I have fully embraced them and I feel a lot more cooler in the summer.

I found some summer outfits I hope to be sporting this summer, if I am cool enough to sport them.

Source: anthropologie.com via Kate on Pinterest

Source: net-a-porter.com via Keri on Pinterest

Any and all of these

Source: mcj.researcher.at via Meg on Pinterest

Source: polyvore.com via Meg on Pinterest

Source: abbysands01.polyvore.com via Meg on Pinterest

Love the simplicity of the outfit

Source: Uploaded by user via Meg on Pinterest

Source: google.com via Mackenzie RaeLynn on Pinterest

Source: Uploaded by user via Vanessa on Pinterest

Source: polyvore.com via Tanya on Pinterest

FYI on this outfit, you have to wear a cami under the green blouse it is really sheer,
I know because I own it.
Can you tell I love blouses with shorts, definitely my summer staples!

OOTDS (outfits of the dayS)

Ok April showers bring May flowers, not sure how much rain we will get this April that would bring May flowers but I will bring flowers out now especially since next weekend is Easter. For me, Easter feels more like Easter when I have a vaseful of daffodils. I will literally buy 60 daffodils. They open up so beautifully and will last. I want them to be open for Easter Sunday so I definitely will purchase my daffodils soon. Can you tell I love daffodils? That is the reason why I added a bouquet of daffodils with my Friday's Fancies outfit. I just love them and literally can't wait for Easter each year so I can buy daffodils!

The past two weekends we definitely have had rain here in Southern California, will this weekend break the trend? I hope so because I have running plans and wine tasting with some friends on Sunday. So no rain for me please! 

Ok onto the outfit! I don't have a pair of rain boots, nor a rain coat but I do have a trench which I thinks satisfies my need to buy a rain coat. If I did have the option to buy a pair of rain boots, I would head straight to the Hunter Wellies, no doubt! And apparently I would be naked under my raincoat because I didn't include any actual clothes underneath oops!

For my rain inspired outfit this is what I created.

Now for a few recent outfits of my own.

 I bought this polka dot top at Old Navy.

I feel like I am breaking some fashion rules here, black with brown with navy blue.
And a final outfit.

I love my red flats.
What are your weekend plans all?? Sean and I are going wine tasting with Katie of katie lately on Sunday down in Temecula, so excited to see her again and meet her husband!
Hope you all have a wonderful weekend!