William Lately

William told me today that he doesn't think that he gets enough "face time" on my blog, so I decided to do a post solely dedicated to my favorite English Springer Spaniel. My guess would be that summer is William's favorite time of the year because we are home a lot more and that means extra walks, extra snuggling time, and more just all around attention.

One of William's favorite things to do is go to the park. But what dog doesn't love a good romp in the park? William is very high energy so chasing the various birds and bugs in the park in circles for what seems to be hours is great exercise for him.

Above, William has spotted a bird. He always looks most handsome when something catches his attention!

Tracking a scent!

Panting and very tired after the chase! 

William also got a new haircut (just like his mommy) last week. He doesn't seem to like going to the groomer even though we tell him it's a "spa day" and a real treat. One thing that I've realized is that I should probably not let my hair go so much and keep up with William's grooming a little more too. Everyone looks better! Also, William received a new bandanna. He is pretty low maintenance when it comes to clothing and fashion accessories!

Just One More

Is there any one particular thing in your wardrobe that you know you have too many of, but you just can't refrain from buying? I could probably say a few things, but I've noticed that lately these statement type collared shirts seem to be multiplying in my closet. This winter I vowed not to buy anything more that could be categorized as "bedazzled". My reasoning was two-fold. First I have too many of them. Second, I don't think they will always be in style. Then I'll just have a mound of these shirts that I wouldn't know what to do with. Oh the horror!

Well, a few days ago I broke this vow and came home with this jeweled collar shirt from Ann Taylor. I thought it would be a great basic, with just a little bit extra around the collar. Plus, it was an extra 40% off and came to about $26 with tax. I think I'll get a lot of wear out of it, even if it is not the latest thing in a few years.

Shirt: Ann Taylor Jeweled Collar Shirt here 

Skirt: Banana Republic Gingham Full Skirt

Shoes: Ann Klein 

Bag: J. Crew Factory Vero Clutch
Belt: Kate Spade Bow Belt

Lemonade Stand

As a lover of all things citrus, I was on a hunt for a summery lemon dress for quite some time. My lust for lemon started with kate spade's Italia collection which featured a host of lemon themed items for spring. I was patiently waiting for the "lyric" (lemon) dress from kate spade to go on sale, but then on my way to the fitting room at Banana Republic I stumbled on this gorgeous dress. The Banana Republic Fit and Flare Lemon print dress was the perfect solution to my lemon dilemma. It was a fraction of the price and I actually liked the print which is more bold and colorful better than kate spade's subdued lemon print. Plus, who doesn't love a fit and flare style dress with pockets? This dress truly has everything a girl could want.

Above I am standing next to a restaurant that is aptly named "Lemonade". Where else could you possibly wear a dress covered in lemons? If you were wondering, this establishment sells pricey lemonade; it's not exactly your kid's lemonade stand on your block with 25 cent glasses of the refreshing lemon elixir.

The only problem with wearing a lemon dress is that you will instantly find a bunch of things that it looks great with. So many choices, so many decisions! I could pair this dress with a variety of colors: red, orange, green, maybe even a soft lavender purple. It also goes with a variety of backgrounds. Here are some examples:

In between two matching UK phone booths.

A bicycle store that just happens to have two giant yellow bicycle wheels on their store front window.

A faintly yellow fountain. I'm just pretending I am in some piazza in Italy. Ciao!

But what pairs better with a lemon dress than complimentary lemonade from Williams Sonoma? Free is definitely a price I like. Somehow it just makes the lemonade all the more refreshing and delicious. 

Dress: Banana Republic Lemon Print Fit and Flare similar here

Shoes: J. Crew Nora Perforated Ballet flats here

Bag: Dooney and Bourke 

Watch: kate spade Carlyle Bow watch 

Necklace: J. Crew Pearl Drop 

Bracelets: J. Crew Factory and Forever 21

Sunglasses: Ray Ban Cat Eye

Steppin' Out in Dots

Last night we went to the Pasadena Playhouse and beforehand to drinks and hors d'oeuvres at our favorite restaurant. I thought that dots would be the perfect accompaniment for the evening out.

Originally when I saw this dress (the "Blurred V-neck" dress) from LOFT I thought it would be a very versatile dress; suitable for both work and going out. From the picture online, it looked to have a modest length and didn't appear to show too much "on top". Well, when it arrived in the mail and I finally tried it on, it seemed to fit me very differently, but I still liked it, and thus it was relegated to strictly "going out" wear. In other words, perfect for a night out on the town, but not so appropriate for going to work.

Below you will see some pictures of the gorgeous Pasadena Playhouse. It is a very small theater done in a Spanish Colonial Revival style, which I happen to rather like. The architect Elmer Grey designed it and its construction was completed in 1925. Upon researching the theater I was delighted to find out that playwright George Bernard Shaw dubbed Pasadena as the "Athens of the West" due in part to its cultural monuments such as the playhouse. I love the city of Pasadena, as it is truly a small gem tucked away in Los Angeles, so I was quite in agreement with the sentiments of Shaw.

If you are ever in Pasadena, this is definitely a most see location. Above are a few of the pictures I took. I also found this quaint little alley tucked away on the side of the Playhouse. I guess I am really good at seeking out quint alleys with unique architectural features!

On sort of a side note, I had my hair cut this week. I cut probably about 4 inches off, and it makes me feel a little "naked" without my long locks. You probably wouldn't notice, because most of the time I wear my hair up, but bellow is a picture of me posing in the alley and showcasing my new "do".

Dress: LOFT Blurred Dot V-Neck Dress here

Sweater: J. Crew 

Shoes: Valentino Couture Bow Pump here

Bag: Chanel Jumbo Flap

Bracelets: Forever 21 and J. Crew Factory

Welcome to the Jungle

While L.A. might be known as a concrete jungle, unlike other cities, you never know where amongst the concrete you might find some patches of greenery and flowers. That was the case today when I happened upon this wall of pink bougainvillea flowers which made me feel like my shorts could function almost as camouflage!

Here are a few things about my shorts: First, they are from H&M, so they are priced right. Second, even though the price is right, the sizing is all wrong. Normally H&M has reverse vanity sizing. What I mean is that their stuff runs really, really small. Well, these shorts run really, really big. I ordered a size small and I was swimming in them. Luckily they have an elastic waist, so I simply had a "make-it work" moment and rolled the waist band over. So did I mention that the waist of these pants is elastic? That is another thing, in addition to the wild fun floral print, that I love about them.  They are so comfy, not to mention forgiving when you eat a big lunch like I had today.

I bought these shorts in two different prints because I thought I would get a lot of use out of easy, effortless, pull on shorts. Comfy shorts are always a summer staple of mine. What are some of your summer staples?

Shorts: H&M, Shirt: J. Crew, Bag: J. Crew Factory Vero Clutch, Shoes: Moschino Cheap and Chic, Sunglasses: Prada Baroque

Picnic at the Autry Museum

The last time I was at the Autry Museum, which is dedicated to the history of the American West, was during my college days. In college I volunteered for a mentoring program for children which included taking them on weekend excursions to local museums and cultural landmarks such as the Autry. Although the experience is a bit fuzzy in my mind (it was over 10 years ago after all!) I remember enjoying the exhibits and the picnic we all had outside after touring the museum.

Well today was much like that day 10 years ago. Upon hearing about a recent exhibit on Route 66 at the Autry, I organized another excursion to the museum, but this time for just my husband and me. I tried to look up a local restaurant that we could go to beforehand, but with little luck. We both remembered from previous visits that there were picnic tables and benches outside of the museum, so we had the bright idea to pack a lunch and eat outside on a gorgeous day like today when the weather isn't too hot and there's a hint of breeze in the air. So we packed a picnic basket with sandwiches and snacks and off we went!

Above you will see some pictures of my picnic attire. I thought it would be a nice day to wear sort of a "casual dress" although my husband claimed that it was fancy. I thought pairing it with a shirt underneath made it a little more casual. I also thought that my Lucie slingbacks looked somewhat like a picnic table, although a very colorful one!

So as I said, we came to the museum primarily for the Route 66 show. It was filled with treasures from the mother road, including some literary artifacts which were right up my alley. These included the long scroll of paper that Jack Kerouac used to write On the Road as a single paragraph and some manuscripts of Steinbeck's The Grapes of Wrath. In addition to this exhibit the museum features as part of its permanent collection odds and ends from Western movies, cowboys, gamblers, gunfighters and Native Americans and anything else Western.

Above you will see a picture looking out from the museum onto the L.A. Zoo. I would love to see the L.A. Zoo sometime, but we didn't have time for it today. Plus we had to get home before the traffic in L.A. picked up too much. Wouldn't life just be easier if it was like the old west and we were still riding horses around everywhere? Well, but then I would have to ride side saddle, which is a major inconvenience when you have a dress on!

Dress: Nordstrom's Rack 

Shoes: J. Crew Lucie Slingbacks in Grape

Shirt: H&M

Bag: Dooney and Bourke

Love Punk Floral

With certain prints and patterns it's just love at first sight. This was certainly the way I felt about last spring's Punk Floral print from J. Crew. I thought just one item would be enough in this pattern, but when the J. Crew Factory came out with their reissue I knew I was going to have to go back for more.

A few weeks ago I picked up the Punk Floral Skimmer pants from the J. Crew Factory. They were discounted to a little under $20 and I thought that adding some more loud and crazy pants to my wardrobe might be, well, fun. While these pants may not be as decadent and gorgeous as the wool/silk blend ones offered last year at the "regular" J. Crew, they are a nice lightweight cotton and perfect for summer.

I also picked up this "love" tee from The Factory. It is quite educational, as it teaches one to say love in many languages. Who says you can't learn in the summer?

Pants: Factory Printed Skimmer Pants in Emerald Pool aka Punk Floral here

Tee: J. Crew Factory "Love" Collector Tee here

Shoes: kate spade

Bag: LV Alma in Citron 

Glasses: Chanel