Cali

I just got back from California and it was a fantastic trip. We started the vacation in San Francisco and made it down the coast all the way to LA. Some of my favorite moments, walking around the Japanese tea garden in San Francisco, watching waves crashing in Big Sur from the hill top above, looking at the cute turtles in the fountain in Santa Barbara, and walking down Sunset Boulevard in LA.

San Francisco


Golden Gate Bridge


The Rainforest at California Institute of Science


Japanese tea garden

Monterey


Wine tasting at Chateau Julien




Lonely cypress tree on 17 mile drive


Big Sur






Santa Barbara/Santa Monica/LA


Real turtles!!!


Ferris wheel on Santa Monica pier


view from hotel room in LA

And since this is a fashion blog here is my ode to fashion: saw Emmanuelle Chriqui wearing wedges with a gold heel like the ones below:

Bettye Muller Campari wedge sandals $154.49

image source: bluefly.com

Still in Cali, a post with gorgeous pics will be coming next week!

Fashion Matches: Best Finds from This Week's Arrivals

As I was packing today for a week long vacation in Cali, I was thinking, which new arrivals would I have wanted to take with me on my trip :) A maxi dress for San Francisco, a party outfit for LA, and something comfortable but cute for the ride in between.

As I've recently discovered a maxi dress serves several purposes. It adds glamour to a night out, it keeps you warm as the temperatures get chilly, and it protects from mosquito bites! I love the blue color and the interesting neckline of this Rachel Pally maxi dress, it makes the dress unique.

Rachel Pally Agatha dress $242

Nothing is better than a casual dress for casual sightseeing. If you're not hiking, biking or otherwise, a dress is perfect because it's so carefree. You just put it on and go, no assembly required :).

Forever 21 Blanket Plaid Shirt dress $22.90 and Maje Pagny striped dress $180

I seem to be on a tutu roll because I absolutely adore this Haute Hippie tutu dress. There is only one problem I see with this dress: making a fool of myself in it while dancing around pretending to be a ballerina. If only the Gucci ballet pumps were still around to go with it...can't believe I still remember them from Fall 2001.

Haute Hippie Tutu Tank dress $445

image sources: net-a-porter.com, bloomingdales.com, forever21.com

Celeb Closet!

It's another celeb closet post! I have to say I'm excited about this one because it includes some pieces that I truly adore, like the Eva Mendes maxi dress that is so innocent and sweet. Plus there's the gorgeous Heidi Klum who doesn't let pregnancy stop her from being ultra stylish.

Last year Eva Mendes wore a beautiful D&G maxi dress and no matter how much I searched for it I could not find the one. This year history will not repeat itself because I have found the maxi dress she wore to the Hangover premiere. It's light, airy and as Eva demonstrates can be worn to an event or just to the movies.

Daughters of Revolution Wonderland maxi dress $342

Project Runway is starting up soon and I'm very excited because I miss Heidi Klum. After a season of watching Isaac Mizrahi I long for that "Auf Wiedersehen" and Heidi's knack for showing off her long legs in the tiny mini skirts. This one is following the horizontal stripes trend and will look fantastic with flats or heels as Heidi demonstrates.

Pleasure Doing Business striped skirt $84

Celebs love a good bargain just like we do and here's a great example of a good one. It's a plaid shirt from Express. It looks fantastic on Emmy Rossum, fitted to show off her tiny waist.

Express Rushed Voile shirt $49.50

image sources: boutiquetoyou.com, express.com, bluehevenboutique.com, stylecritics.com, denimology.co.uk

Fashion Matches: Best Finds from This Week's Arrivals

Some awesome new arrivals this week! I'm totally in love with the Camilla and Marc skirt, and to continue on the light and delicate theme there's the Twinkle top. To add a little bit of color to these vanilla shades is a pretty Kate Spade ring, and a Mike & Chris leather jacket.

As soon as I saw this Camilla & Marc skirt and immediately had a flashback to Sex and the City. The theme for that show ends with Carrie in a tutu like skirt just like this one. It's such a fun, pretty and delicate skirt I can't take my eyes off of it.

Camilla and Marc Iris skirt $322

I adore this Kate Spade ring. I particularly like the view from the side where you can see the shape of the petals. There are several colors of this ring, but my favorite is the pink, because it really pops.

Kate Spade Les Fleurs ring $75

I'm a sucker for details and this Twinkle top is a perfect example of how a few details can make a simple top special. In this case it's all about the pleating. It'll go great with jeans and shorts.

Twinkle Triple Falls top $284

We've seen ruffles everywhere this year, skirts, shirts, coats, so why not a leather jacket?

Mike & Chris Janus Ruffled leather jacket $645

image sources: bloomingdales.com, nordstrom, shopbop.com

Fashion Matches: Best Finds from This Week's Arrivals

As the fall collections start trickling in it's great to still see some fun summer dresses in the new arrivals. From the Shakuhachi dress to the BB Dakota, to the Forever 21 dress, each is unique and has a distinct vibe. I also couldn't resist but have an ode to the headband.

I love this Shakuhachi dress because it looks effortlessly cool. The draping, the cute pocket, the oversize sleeves. It reminds me a bit of the Penkov dress I posted earlier, but the tulip skirt sets it apart. I only wish it came in a different print other than polka dot but that's small in comparison to everything else that's fantastic about this dress.

Shakuhachi Oversize Zip Pocket dress $212

Forever 21 is great for finding those every day looks that you'll find yourself wearing again and again. I've always wanted to take my bf's shirt and make it into a dress. Unfortunately his shirts aren't long enough once I belt them so this is a great alternative because essentially it's a fitted mens shirt with a belt.

Forever 21 Placket dress $19.90

Plaid is ubiqutous this year so when I saw this dress by BB Dakota I got excited because it felt different. It's a flirty shape but the color pallatte gives it an edge.

BB Dakota Plaid dress $55

I'm loving headbands this season. I found a very delicate white flower one that I've been wearing everywhere and these are some other ones I'm eyeing. The Louis Mariette headband works perfectly for special occasions and the Anthropologie one reminds me of cherry blossom trees.

Louis Mariette Jardin crystal embellished headband $175 and Anthropologie Subtle Sprouts headband $28

image sources: chickdowntown.com, revolveclothing.com, forever21.com, anthropologie.com, net-a-porter.com