Belt it Out!

I have to admit that I have been less than thrilled with a lot of the new fall arrivals this year. Maybe it's because the color palettes are more muted this seasons or maybe it's because I already own everything I could ever need wardrobe wise, but whatever it is, it's good because I haven't been too terribly tempted to buy anything lately.

The only exception would be accessories. I am starting to look into some fun accessories to spruce up the pieces I already own in my wardrobe, such as this Philosophy di Alberta Ferretti belt courtesy of Yoox.com. It's made in Italy and only set me back $26. With all of the colors it's the perfect way to jazz up some of my monochromatic dresses, such as this red peplum number from the J. Crew Factory.

Linking up with:
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Dress: J. Crew Factory similar

Denim Jacket: H&M

Bag: Clare Vivier Leopard Clutch here

Belt: Philosophy di Alberta Ferretti 

Shoes: Forever 21

Watch: Maurice Lacroix

Sunglasses: Prada here

A Tale of Two Backgrounds

I like weekends because usually the most difficult choice I have to make is where to eat out and maybe what to use at the "backdrop" to my latest blog entry. It's certainly a lot better than the hassles one must face during the work week. Yesterday my husband and I went to one of our favorite shabu shabu restaurant and I wanted to take a couple of pictures before I splashed noodles and broth all over myself.  Although, ironically, even though I am quite messy, I am much neater than my husband when it comes to shabu shabu. I really have the technique down...sort of.

Well, we got to the shabu place right before they opened, so I figured why not map out a place to do a few quick pictures? My husband liked this green-painted brick backdrop complete with a palm, cactus, and bush, while I went for the ever-popular, minimalist corrugated door to a storage locker look. Well, I used pictures from both backdrops, so you be the judge.

Just a quick note about my map themed top: it's from Anthropologie and I found it last weekend on the clearance rack during the "Anthro Day" sale with an extra 15% off everything. It's called the "Cartography" Buttondown and features a "cheery" map print. It's perfect for mapping out the ideal "blog shoot" local.

Shirt: Anthropologie "Cartography" buttondown  here

Skirt: J. Crew striped no. 2 pencil skirt

Bag: Prada Saffiano Lux tote in "Papaya"

Shoes: J. Crew "Valentina" mirror metallic pumps here

Belt: J. Crew

Watch: Tissot 

Sunglasses: Prada

Block Party

My graphic tee shirt collection is growing and apparently, according to the J. Crew Factory, that makes me a "collector" of tees, as opposed to just a hoarder. My most recent acquisition to my hoard...err...um...I mean collection, is the J. Crew Factory "Color Blocks" collector tee. I bought this shortly after it was released as a new arrival for fall. I thought it would be fun to pair with jeans or a red midi skirt like the one I am sporting today.  The colors are fun and cheery—it's like a festive block party!

Tee: J. Crew Factory color block collector's tee here

Skirt: H&M red midi skirt, love this sale version

Shoes: J. Crew "Cece" ballet flats

Bag: H&M

Belt: kate spade bow belet

Watch and accessories: kate spade and J. Crew Factory

Sunglasses: Prada

The Cherry On My Sundae

Last Sunday I had the privilege to enjoy, among other things, a beef brisket sundae at the L.A. County Fair. Fairs encompass many of my favorite things: caloric food, barnyard animals, colorful lights and attractions, and at least at this fair, wine and spirit tastings.

So what is in the beef brisket sundae you may ask? Well, it's beef brisket atop a heaping helping of mashed potatoes with a cherry tomato on top. It's actually one the healthier options at the fair.  I think I might want to recreate a version of this at home.

Below are just some random fair pictures showing and highlighting what you might expect to see at any fair and some things that were unique to the fair in Los Angeles this year.

Games galore! Why didn't my husband try to win me a Hello Kitty stuffed animal?

I used to like this swing ride when I was a kid, but I don't remember the ones I went on being quite so high! I'm not much of a ride person. I'll just admire them from afar.

Above is the fair's Luminasia exhibit, featuring larger than life Chinese lanterns that glow at night. I didn't see this exhibit because there was an extra charge, but you can see a lot of it from the street.

Luminasia glowing at night.

Unhealthy food galore too! I actually ate pretty healthy during this visit to the fair, save for the bloomin' onion and all of the cheese at the wine tasting events. I was pretty tempted by the 10 pound Nutella and bacon bun shown above or the Krispy Kreme donut cheeseburger.

I was happy to see that this year, the fair expanded its gardening and agricultural section, which brought back memories of the fairs I used to go to in New York. The New York State fair was really dedicated to farm and livestock, as opposed to the more "commercial" feel of the L.A. fair.

I think this is Swiss Chard.

The garden at the fair was quite extensive. Just about every herb and vegetable was represented from corn, to watermelon to exotic herbs. It gave me a lot of inspiration for what to plant in my garden next spring since I now have a "green thumb".

Below are the animals of the farm. I sort of have this strange love of goats. I think I took about 40 pictures of them. These are Hello Katie Girl's top three goat pics for the 2014 fair:

I also spied this very cute bunny.

After learning that we are zoned to have chickens on our property, my husband and I have been mulling over the idea raising "urban chickens" in order to have fresh eggs. (I also love chickens so they would be my pets!) I like the hen house below; perhaps I can replicate it in our backyard if we decide on getting chickens!

In addition to the cute animals, there was also the wine and spirit tastings. I'm always up for wine and cheese. It's fun to taste different gold, silver and bronze medal winning wines. The cheese is great too, but you have to ration it so you can taste a little with each wine. It's hard for a cheese lover such as myself to show some restraint!

We did a few wine and spirit tastings including: value wines, wine and cheese pairings and a class focused specifically on Cabernet. I was also thrilled to meet Wilfred Wong of BevMo fame. (Although he no longer works for them, if you've ever shopped at BevMo you've probably seen his ratings on their wines and spirits.) Below are some of the Cabernet wines we tired, one of which was $100 a bottle, but it was actually my least favorite.

Well, the L.A. County fair ends this Sunday, so if you live in the area your time to visit is almost up.  I can't wait to go back next year to see what food, wine and goats I'll discover next year!

Linking up today with Let's Be Friends Blog Hop

Leopard, Navy and Gold

I guess you might say that it has cooled down a touch here in Los Angeles, but you could only say this if your idea of cool is the upper 80s or low 90s. Summer weather gets a little old after a while, especially when it extends into October and in some case beyond, which is tough for a person such as myself who loves fall and winter. Winter clothing has always been my favorite; I love layers, bulky sweaters and long wool coats with pockets to put your hands in, but days when you can wear these garments are few and far between here in L.A.

So I apologize if you are wondering, "why is this girl still in short sleeves and sandals?" I purchased this dress from Forever 21 at the end of August and I imagined waiting to wear it until next year, but given the heat here it is just perfect. I didn't want to go too nautical with it, so I paired it with some different accessories and a touch of leopard. Here's hoping for cooler weather ahead!

Linking up with Trend Spin

Dress: Forever 21 "Striped Combo" dress here

Shoes: J. Crew "Evie" metallic midheel sandals here

Clutch: Clare Vivier fold over leopard clutch 

Necklace: J. Crew Jeweled Quill pendant necklace

Sunglasses: Prada here

Restocking My Pencils

I had sort of a rude awakening this summer when I went to wear one of my button-down shirts, only to find a lot more gaping when I buttoned it up than before. It wasn't just one shirt, but a handful that had this issue. In addition to that, some of my pencil skirts appeared to be a little tighter than I remembered too. Unlike most people, summer is actually the time when I gain a few extra pounds because I am more likely to be sitting around, being idol and eating out. Once school starts up I am usually too busy to eat and all of my frantic activity sheds the summer pounds off.

Realizing that I am not getting any younger and that my metabolism is probably never going to be quite what it once was, I decided this fall to re-invest in some basic pieces such as button down shirts and monochromatic pencil skirts with a better fit.  Some of my restocking purchases have come from the J. Crew Factory, including this green No. 2 pencil skirt and floral button-down. I actually didn't have a green pencil skirt prior to this purchase and I am finding that it goes with everything. In regard to the shirt, I figured it's not exactly a classic neutral, but it will be a great piece to transition from summer to fall/winter.

While others might find sizing up a burden, "restocking" as I'll call it is pretty fun. Now I have an actual "need" to buy stuff!  When a package arrives I can honestly tell my husband with at least somewhat of a straight face, "I needed to buy that!"

Head to Toe J. Crew Today!

Shirt: J. Crew Factory classic button-down in "shadow multi" here

Skirt: J. Crew Factory double surge cotton no. 2 pencil skirt in "warm jade" here

Shoes: J. Crew "Mona" pump

Necklace: J. Crew "Water Droplet"

Bag: J. Crew "Claremont"