Fiesta Stripes

A couple of days ago I "celebrated" both my birthday and my first day back at work. Even though I was as tired as a dog (somehow our dog never seems to be tired no matter how much he runs about, so I'm not sure how the expression originated), we had to go out and celebrate just a little. We decided to go to one of out favorite restaurants for some drinks and delicious hors d'oeuvres.

I wore something new, the Kate Spade Striped Nico dress, because it's a fiesta in dress form and thus very fitting given the occasion. This dress was sort of an early birthday present to myself ,as I stumbled upon it at the Nordstrom's Rack outlet. While I didn't love this dress in photos, in person it caught my fancy and even a woman in the fitting room told me I had to have it. I love colors and this has them in spades, so it was a perfect match.

Starting work after having an extended period off is never easy. To take the edge off and unwind, not to mention celebrate my birthday, I treated myself to this "French Laundry" martini which was very refreshing out on the patio of the restaurant.

One martini, two martini, three martini... floor! Did I mention it was a long day? Actually this is my husband's martini.  If I had more than one I literally would have been on the floor, asleep!

Outfit: Dress: Kate Spade, Shoes: CL Nude Simple Pumps, Bag: J. Crew Edie in Casablanca Blue, Belt: J. Crew Factory, Necklace: Forever 21

Museum by the Sea

Last weekend we ventured to Long Beach, not to soak up the sun or sit by the beach, but to visit the Long Beach Museum of Art. I've driven by this museum numerous times and was always enticed by the quaint craftsman building sitting alongside the shore, but I never found the time to go in. When I learned that the museum was having a dog friendly exhibit on architecture for dogs, I knew I had to get myself to Long Beach to check it out. This adventure truly combined some of my favorite things: craftsman architecture, quirky art, dogs, and the ocean. I know not everyone will find this place or the exhibit as fascinating as I do, but I if you are so inclined read on.

Outside the museum they have replicas of the dog architecture (essentially dog houses) for your pooch to play on.  As you can see some of the structures resemble what you would typically think of when you imagine a dog house:

 And some not so much...

Perhaps you are wondering, why didn't you bring your dog, William to this dog friendly exhibit? Well, William is crazy and dogs aren't allowed inside of the museum unless you can carry them. Technically, I can carry William, but at 50lbs I think that would be rather difficult to manage. Plus I imagine that he would be barking and squirming all over the place too. My guess is that we would be politely or maybe not so politely asked to leave.

Once inside the museum you will see the following sign encouraging you to not only look at the art/dog houses, but to also build your own dog houses by printing out the blueprints to the ones on display. 

Well, I don't think I or my husband will be constructing any of these anytime soon for William. This is primarily due to the fact that even though a rationale was provided for how each of these are "practical" for particular breeds of dogs, none were designed for Springer Spaniels or any dog for that matter weighing over 20lbs. Second, William would probably destroy most of these, so we'll eliminate the headache and disappointment.

Below you will see some of the pictures of the "dog houses." As you are looking at these please note that there was quite a bit of laughter from both me and my husband and the other patrons. One of the things I really like about exhibits like this is that they fully engage the guests in the art, even if that means having a good chuckle at its absurdity. 

Like I said, there was a purpose behind all of the designs. Each had a specific breed in mind too. The above design is supposed to help cool the artist's Spitz (a breed I've never heard of) in the summer. 

The mirror above is designed for a poodle. The description of this piece made me laugh the hardest. Apparently only a few species can recognize themselves in the mirror. For example chimpanzees, dolphins and humans have this capacity. Most scientists believe that dogs do not fall into this category, however, according to the artist, a growing number of poodle owners claim that their poodles can recognize their own image. To top that off, they also claim that poodles care about their appearances. How vain! Speaking of vanity, you can see a glimpse of me and my pineapple skirt in the mirror!

Below you will see some other examples of architecture for dogs. Make of them what you will.

On the second floor of the museum there is a beautiful view of the ocean and the adjacent restaurant. The restaurant is actually in the original craftsman house from 1912. The original house served a variety of purposes since it was first built and became a museum only in the 1950s. In 2000 a second building was completed which now showcases exhibitions, such as the one I've featured here. Below you will see images of the original building in all its craftsman splendor.

That concludes this adventure in Long Beach. If dogs aren't your thing or really crazy architecture for pets, they'll be having a new exhibit soon. The gorgeous views, house and fresh sea air make it worth a visit no matter your taste in art.

Recycled Pineapples

This year J. Crew decided to reissue popular prints from seasons past. Anthropologie, following suit,  just released 20 pieces from its past 20 years to celebrate their anniversary. 

I know the reissuing of past designs has generated controversy amongst die hard J. Crew and Anthro consumers alike. Many people who have been loyal to these brands for years or in some cases decades have a sense of pride over owning rare pieces from the golden years of the company, resenting that those who are just getting into the brand have access to their prized pieces. Others wonder why these companies can't continue being innovative as opposed to recycling ideas from the past. I personally don't really care much about this debate, as long as the company is creating things that I find to be aesthetically pleasing. I have a lot of old school stuff from both stores (I shopped at J. Crew and Anthro in high school before either was particularly "cool"), but I love the idea that I now have the opportunity to get my hands on perhaps that one piece that got away or something from an old collection that I didn't notice before.

So I am rambling on about this subject because I just received my Ratti Pineapple skirt in the mail last week from J. Crew. It is a reissue of a print and a similar skirt from J. Crew's 2006 collection. While I was shopping at J. Crew in 2006, this skirt never really caught my eye, however I like how it was redesigned and so this time around I snatched it up before it sold out, perhaps to be re-released in another seven years?

I ordered a size 2 in this skirt which I thought was just right. I probably could have sized up to a 4 which is something I often do with short skirts, and since this is technically a "mini" skirt that would have afforded me some extra length. Size 0 and 2 was all that was available though at the time that this was on sale.

 

Yesterday I went to a really cool place, which I will reveal later on my blog. Just as a teaser you can see the picture below of the location, which is clearly by the beach. Stay tuned!

 Outfit: Skirt: J. Crew Ratti Pineapple Mini, Shirt: Thomas Mason for J. Crew, Belt: Kate Spade, Bag: LV Epi Alma in Menthe, Shoes: J.Crew Ballet in Burnt Sienna

Statement Storage

To statement or not to statement? That is the question. If you've read my blog before, you probably know that I have grappled with the idea of whether or not to indulge in the statement necklace trend. Ultimately, I resolved to do so, as I think it's a fun way to change up an outfit or reinvent pieces in your closet.

My only stipulation is that I can't spend anymore than $30 on any one piece. With J. Crew's exorbitant prices it's often hard to keep in this price range, but it can be done though if you hit some of the J. Crew super sales right. For example, the J. Crew color mix necklace which I am wearing below was $24.99, which is less than what some of the knockoffs go for. I was able to get it for this price by ordering it at my J. Crew store, getting it for the in store price (as opposed to the online price) plus 40% off and my educator discount. If you can't find the piece you are looking for at a steal, sites such as Groopdealz or Very Jane are great options.

So when you amass a collection of statement jewelery, what do you do with it? I was throwing it into boxes, but then it was hard to see and also getting a bit tangled. That's when a light bulb went off in my head. A month ago my husband and I bought these trays for some of our flatware and cooking utensils for 99 cents each at IKEA. After we bought them we found some other trays that we liked better. My husband couldn't find the receipt to return these and we were only out $2 anyway, so these trays were just sitting around and collecting dust. That's when I realized that they would be the perfect way to store and organize my jewelery. Luckily everything fit perfectly as you will see below. The only exception were the slightly bigger pieces. I opted to store these individually in the boxes. 

Another storage idea is to use these collapsible kids' boxes for scarves, belts and other miscellaneous accessories. You can get "adult" ones I'm sure, but why would you want to when there are ones with Hello Kitty? Anyway, this is my famous box-o-belts. It is a color explosion of belts which go flying everywhere as I am trying to get dressed in the morning.

Although I'm not a very organized person, I did try to get more organized with my time off over the summer. Do you have any handy storage solutions to share?

Outfit: Necklace: J. Crew, Striped Shirt: H&m, Shorts: J. Crew 4" Chinos

Tucked In

I've always had this weird thing about tucking shirts into pants, especially jeans. This got me into some trouble during my high school years because our dress code mandated that all shirts be tucked in and I always thought it was more stylish to leave them out and hanging in the wind. I understood for the boys it looked sloppy, but if it was a nice tailored shirt for a woman I didn't see what the big deal was. The fashion magazines were filled with that sort of things, although it was the 90s, a decidedly more relaxed era in fashion. Anyway, the headmaster at my school was certainly not flipping through fashion mags and none too interested in my style philosophy, so I was often getting gentle warnings about it from time to time. Luckily, I was a good student, so not much attention was paid to this violation of code.  

Now that I am a grown up and in my 30s (although in many ways I still feel 20) I figured it was finally time to tuck myself in. While these denim shorts and this pastel plaid popover may not be dressy attire, I decided to "polish" it up a little by tucking my shirt into my pants. I guess it's sort of a milestone and it would certainly make my headmaster proud (although jeans and shorts were banned too.)

Are you a fashion "virgin" when it comes to anything such as tucking shirt tails into pants?

Outfit:  Shirt: J. Crew Factory, Shorts: Target: Sneakers: Puma, Belt: J. Crew

Sojourn to San Juan Capistrano

One of my favorite places in Southern California is San Juan Capistrano. It has it all. A beautiful mission, good restaurants, historic homes in a quaint downtown, and most importantly a petting zoo. I first visited this town on the way to San Diego years ago and since then I like to make a pilgrimage back at least once a year, just as the Capistrano swallows do. It's such a charming place and it feels so isolated from the rest of the hustle and bustle of things. I find myself yearning to be one of its permanent residents. I noticed that everyone we encountered in San Juan Capistrano seemed extraordinarily happy and who can blame them? Maybe it's the fresh beach air or maybe it's some sort of magic spell that the swallows which make a pilgrimage to the town every spring cast upon the residents? Well, whatever it is, it is something special.

I wore this colorful dress which is again a find from Marshall's ($29.99) as I thought the cheerful flora was perfect for this very colorful location that has its fair share of flowers as well. The flowers are quite abundant in the gardens of the mission, which are featured in the pictures of my ensemble below.

In the old town district of San Juan Capistrano there is much to do. The wooden sign depicted below will help you situate yourself. We decided to visit the petting zoo first. Sure I'm too old to go to a petting zoo, but I secretly wish I owned my own farm which would be sort of a Noah's Ark hodgepodge of animals. Petting zoos allow me to indulge in this fantasy for a little while.

This goat was my favorite at the petting zoo, so he's getting his 15 minutes of fame on my blog. He looked really pissed off. Relax Mr. Goat! You're a goat at a petting zoo with tons of hay, a goat "villa" and you live in San Juan Capistrano. Life is good!

(Goat Villa)

After the petting zoo we went to the San Juan Capistrano mission. Due to my husband's love of missions I've seen a lot of them over the years, but this one is by far the most beautiful in my opinion due to the gardens. Apparently a lot of other people think it's a beautiful place too because there were at least three couples having professional photos taken on site and a bunch of amateur photographers snapping up the scenery and love ones posing amidst the scenery. Here are some of my favorite photos which I took to capture the beauty of the mission. As you can see, the mission from almost every angle offers picturesque postcard quality views. 

Another interesting and unique aspect of the San Juan Capistrano mission is the Great Stone church, which was destroyed when an earthquake struck during mass in 1812, killing 40 people. 

To cap off our day in San Juan Capistrano we went to a restaurant located inside of a Santa Fe railroad train car. The restaurant is actually comprised of several rail cars, and there is one which you can dine in.

Well, I hope you enjoyed my adventures in the fine town of San Juan Capistrano. Next time you are in Southern California I would recommend taking a trip here to check out all of the sites and perhaps discover some of your own favorite places in town. Every time I go there is always something new to be found!

Outfit: Dress: Maggie London/Marshall's, Shoes: Butter/Anthropologie, Bag: J. Crew Edie in Hyacinth, Denim Jacket: H&M