Varley knit sweater; Varley shorts; Saint Laurent leather tote (look for less here); Le Specs sunglasses; Melinda Maria tennis bracelet (use code NIKKIP); Target sandals

If you have yet to dip your toe into the delicious fabrics and fits that are Varley, then I suggest you run far, far away from this post and never look back. I held off on trying the brand for as long as I could because I knew I would love it, and well, it’s not exactly cheap. Last fall I was given a couple of pieces for my birthday and became officially hooked. Fast forward to Christmas and Eric telling a Nordstrom sales associate “she’ll probably want anything by that Varley brand” – and he was right. Their “Double Soft” fabric is seriously buttery, and the fits just feel elevated beyond your usual loungewear.

So if you’re already a fan like me (or willing to empty your wallet and become one), then I present to you, with warning, some of my favorites from Varley’s newly launched spring collection. (And while you’re at it, peep the look below for some PRETTY new jewelry pieces from Gorjana – all so GOOD.)

xoxo

Gucci sunglasses (on sale); Varley slim pants; Varley sweater vest; Varley knit jacket; Dolce Vita sandals; rattan clutch; Gorjana bracelet, rings, and necklace

Prada sunglasses (on sale); Varley knit sweater; Varley shorts; Amazon phone chain; Gap denim bomber; Veja sneakers

Amazon sunglasses; Varley sweater vest; Varley shorts; H&M bag; Varley knit cardigan; beek sneakers (use code MYSTYLEDIARIES10); Melinda Maria Jewelry bracelets and necklace – click above to shop (use code NIKKIP)

A couple of weeks ago Eric and I spent three nights in Napa, and it was maybe one of the best trips we’ve taken. I had been to Napa once several years ago, but Eric had never been. To be honest, it wasn’t even fully on our radar because of the whole flying into San Francisco or Oakland and then renting/hiring a car for the hour plus drive to Napa thing. In general, San Francisco is just not on my to-do list for a long weekend, don’t come for me.

But game changer alert – JSX now flies directly from Orange County to Concord Airport, which was about a 25-30 minute Uber ride to our hotel. JSX is a great airline with no security, no bag fees, no BS – you show up 20 minutes before your flight and hop on. Where they fly is limited, but the prices are actually more affordable than other airlines – it’s pretty wild. We’ve had some delays with them, but for the most part, it’s been nice experiences.

So we booked the flight, made some plans, and once we were in Napa, it was pretty much all smooth sailing. We met some amazing people and had some great food and wine. When the weekend was over, I think we both agreed that we’ll be back soon. Below, sharing a little itinerary of our weekend and some places that are definitely worth checking out. Until next time, Napa!

xoxo

Where We Stayed: Stanly Ranch

Once we decided on a little trip to Napa, finding the hotel was the first piece of the puzzle. In random searches I kept coming across Stanly Ranch, and it stayed in my mind as the place I had to book. If you’ve ever stayed at an Auberge property before, then you know the level of service, the food, the rooms, the grounds and amenities – it just can’t be beat. It’s definitely a pricy choice, but after looking into a few wineries and dinner spots and being completely overwhelmed, I was sold on the fact that the Stanly Ranch Concierge would just figure it all out for me.

And that they did. Cam from Concierge killed it with the best itinerary. After a phonecall and a couple of emails figuring out our preferences, Cam booked all of our winery tastings, a driver for the day (if you can request Logan, DO IT), and dinner reservations for all three nights. His recommendations were spot on, and when we wanted to add a Sunday tasting last-minute, he was right on that as well.

The hotel itself is spacious and beautiful, and our room was just perfect. I don’t know how I didn’t get a photo of our bathroom with a standalone tub, outdoor shower, and heated floors – so nice. We loved having our little firepit patio to come home to, and it was the perfect spot to enjoy breakfast every day. I didn’t get a chance to check out the spa as it was fully booked for the weekend (should’ve booked ahead with Cam), but the restaurant is amazing and the boutique on property is a tiny Saks. If you contact them ahead of time they’ll stock it with your style and size. I didn’t do that but still managed to do a little damage. There are house cars on property, and when the valet isn’t busy, they’ll drop you off at local spots which was a nice little perk. Overall the stay was excellent, and I’d highly recommend.

Thursday

Dinner at Bear at Stanly Ranch – I knew that our first night in Napa we probably wouldn’t want to get to the hotel and then rush off to dinner reservations, so I scheduled an early dinner at Bear at Stanly Ranch. And after a couple hours of flight delays leaving Orange County, I was really happy about that decision. When we arrived to the hotel, we checked in, dropped our bags with the bell desk, and headed straight to dinner. (Luckily, it’s pretty casual.) We sat outside on their patio, and it was truly just a lovely, delicious way to start the trip. We loved the Kampachi and Crispy Rice apps followed by the Tiger Prawns and Whole Trout. Yum!

Friday

Breakfast at Stanly Ranch – We had tons of breakfast recommendations around Napa from friends, but we loved our room and our little firepit patio so much that we decided to just order breakfast to our patio every morning. And given the chance, I’d do the same thing again. I highly recommend the Spicy Tomato Poached Eggs, and Eric really loved the Wild Salmon Gravlax with the Buckwheat Waffle. So good.

Progeny – This was our first stop on Friday, our wine-tasting day, and it was a really beautiful start to the day. We were greeted by our host Anthony who was fun and funny and bubbly and just so knowledgeable – it was clear that we were in good hands. We booked a wine and cheese pairing experience, and it was a very private, personal tasting in their beautiful library. Literally, I think Eric and I were the only guests on the property at the time. Their Reserve Cabs are delicious, and we loved the thoughtful food pairings – I could eat that ricotta stuffed peach bite every single day.

Hudson Ranch – Our second winery stop was more of a (giant) ranch vibe and included a beautiful farm tour of their home-grown veggies, flowers, and championship gourds. (Seriously, gourds hanging from a lattice ceiling that were taller than us and destined for a local gourd competition.) We roamed around, tasted some fresh-from-the-vine tomatoes, and took in some giant sunflowers before sitting down to a beautiful sunroom style tasting. We tried their Chardonnays, a couple of red blends, fresh pressed olive oil, and some duck fat popcorn that Eric loved. Chardonnays aren’t really my vibe, but Eric said those were really good as well.

Hammel Family Wines – Our third and final stop of the day took us to Sonoma which was a little further out than I wanted to go, but I’m so glad that we went. (Also, it was only about 20-25 minutes, not bad.) Hammel Family Wines is situated up high and boasts some pretty incredible views. We had a private tasting in their indoor salon followed by a brief cave tour to see how the wines are aged, stored, closely watched, all that jazz. I thought it was interesting, and we loved their reds so much we decided to join their club.

Dinner at The French Laundry – It’s a Napa Valley staple and a place that Eric and I both wanted to try. (Don’t tell him I told you, but Eric has a French Laundry cookbook that you’ll find him flipping through from time to time.) Reservations are tough, but we got on a waitlist thanks to a friend’s recommendation about 3-4 weeks out. They called me the week of our trip to offer us a 4:00 reservation for Thursday and (thankfully with our flight delays) we decided to take a chance, turn it down, and get back on the waitlist. We lucked out and got in on Friday night, and it was an incredible experience. We chose a Chef’s Tasting Menu along with a wine pairing, and they took care of the rest. It was a splurge in every way possible, but it was something that we’re glad we did.

Saturday

Lunch at Morimoto Napa – After our very full Friday, Saturday morning started off nice and slow, and I was so glad that we hadn’t made any plans. After coffee and breakfast at the hotel and a quick dip in the spa, we decided to roam into downtown Napa around midday. We both love sushi, so Morimoto was an easy choice. (I’m also obsessed with their Black Cod dish after having it in Hawaii last year.) We sat at the bar, had a nice little low-key lunch, and then roamed a bit around Downtown Napa afterwards. There were some cute little spots for wine-tasting along the river, but we decided to skip and head back to the hotel for the afternoon.

Dinner at Press Napa – Press was another recommendation by our hotel concierge, and it was another hit. It’s a small-ish St. Helena Michelin-Starred restaurant, and anytime we mentioned to anyone that we were going to Press, they told us how great it was. We were seated on the patio, which to be honest was a little meh in atmosphere, but the service and food definitely made up for it. We did the Tasting Menu, and I’m sure I’m not supposed to say this, but I liked the food here better than The French Laundry. More my style, not SO out there. The soft shell crab app was the best I’ve ever had. Also, a soft pretzel served with caviar. Sign me up.

Sunday

Cuvaison – We only made wine-tasting plans and reservations on Friday and kept the rest of the weekend open, but by Saturday night, we realized we should pick out one more winery for Sunday since our flight wasn’t until 4:00. I emailed the concierge at Stanly Ranch and just asked for “something near the hotel” and he suggested Cuvaison. It far exceeded my expectations with floor-to-ceiling windows looking out onto the entire beautiful property. It was more of a relaxed vibe with a couple of comfy couches which we loved for our last day. This was also the only winery where Eric could taste some whites and reds and I could stick to all reds. It was the perfect last winery for our trip.

Lunch at Bouchon – After Cuvaison, we decided to head into Yountville for lunch. We didn’t have reservations which can be a little problematic on a busy Sunday, but we were lucky enough to score a couple of bar seats (which we kind of prefer over a table anyway) at Bouchon. There we got a little rundown of the area (Yountville seems to be the spot to be, and next time we will definitely spend a little more time there), and I had the best French onion soup of my life. I tried to share it with Eric, but he was chatting and somehow it just disappeared. Before heading to the airport, we also managed to snag some to-go goodies from Bouchon Bakery up the street to take home with us.

Tasting experience at Progeny

Ulla Johnson dress; French Connection heels; Bottega bag; Isabel Marant sunglasses

Tasting Room at Hudson Ranch Breakfast at Stanly Ranch

Amanda Uprichard dress; Amazon heels; Bottega bag

Tasting Menu at Press Napa

Tasting Room at Cuvaison

Outdoor Patio at Cuvaison

Pool at Stanly Ranch Denim skort; t-shirt bodysuit; H&M cardigan; beek sandals (code MYSTYLEDIARIES10 for 10% off); Bottega tote

I can’t even believe it, but Christmas Day is officially ten days away. Less than two weeks! And while my holiday shopping list is not yet done, at least I’ll be stress-free when it comes to getting dressed. From holiday travel to dinner parties to cozy couch hangs at home, Walmart seriously has easy, comfy pieces for every occasion. The knit set above seriously feels so luxe, and I can’t recommend the sweater dress below more. (Thinking I may need to snag the red version too.) Also don’t sleep on the Free Assembly denim – this pair fits and feels like a way more expensive pair.

Here’s hoping the next ten days are jolly and festive and filled with love…and some stress-free shopping.

xoxo

Sweater dress; suede boots; red handbag; hat

black jeans; black sweater (another great bodysuit option here); plaid blazer; heeled booties

light wash jeans; bodysuit (another great bodysuit option here); duster cardigan; red handbag; heeled booties; hat

Free Assembly sweater and knit pants; similar slippers; cozy wrap; cozy blanket; plaid dog bed

Brought to you by Walmart.

H&M has been a favorite shopping destination of mine for years (and years and years), and truth be told, it’s where I find these fingers scrolling around when I’m bored – both bored with my time and bored with my wardrobe.  It’s a bad habit that’s certainly found me some good fashion pieces over the years.  In recent seasons, their selection runs the gambit from Gen Z’s bucket hats, crop tops and dad sneakers to the mumu dresses, comfy sandals, and super soft cardigans that I’m into, and this season is no different.

So today I’m sharing a few favorite spring finds from a recent scroll around H&M’s latest launch, and I’m not even gonna lie, a few of these pieces are currently on their way to me now.  How CUTE is that little navy striped cardigan for your Memorial Day weekend plans?  And the shoes, man I love the shoes.  I restrained myself from ordering any shoes, but I do live dangerously close to an H&M store, so the restraint isn’t over yet.  Hope everyone has a great end of the week ahead!

xoxo

bright red cardigan;  white linen shorts;  brown leather sandals;  striped cardigan;  linen-blend ivory shorts;  rope sandals;  grey cardigan;  denim shorts;  black leather sandals

black leather sandals;  rope sandals;  ivory leather sandals;  brown leather sandals

I was going to start this off by saying spring is just around the corner, but in Southern California, springtime is almost, pretty much, basically, depending on the day, kinda here.  And I am READY for it.  Ready for spring and ALL. THE. COLORS.  Blame it on the times, but I’ve never been more ready to introduce a little fun into my wardrobe, and right now, the stores and interwebs are bursting with the prettiest, most colorful spring collections.

From soft pastels to bold brights in every color of the rainbow, you really can’t go wrong this season.  Go all out head to toe, or just add a splash with a fun handbag, shoes, or out of your comfort zone sunglasses.  Personally, I couldn’t pick a favorite, so today I’m rounding up some of my favorite pieces in a slew of spring colors.  Which ones are you eyeing?

xoxo

Woven yellow heels;  Veja sneakers;  light yellow woven flat sandals;  padded two-strap heels;  Carve Designs swimsuit;  yellow swim coverup;  yellow leather crossbody bag;  cable knit cardigan;  straw circle handbag

Green woven heels;  Veja green and white sneakers;  ankle strap heels;  clear heel sandals;  tie-waist tank dress;  chunky knit cardigan;  crossbody handbag with gold hardware;  green acrylic handbag;  canvas tote

beaded handle straw bag;  faux leather pyramid clutch;  acrylic ring;  bamboo handle straw bag;  mint designer sunglasses;  two band flat sandals;  tennis club sweatshirt;  button front cropped cardigan;  sheer swim coverup;  leather band heels;  jelly beach tote

woven flat sandals;  ombre sunglasses;  two strap sandals;  lavender leather slides;  chain embellished handbag;  floral airy mini dress;  corduroy cuffed shorts;  dyed denim shirt dress;  studded flat sandals;  lavender shoulder bag

flowy floral maxi dress;  light pink sweater romper;  clear pink heels;  feather-embellished hat;  rose colored sunglasses;  studded flat sandals;  braided band heels;  cropped sweatshirt;  acrylic pink handbag

Carve Designs bikini top and colorblocked bottom;  woven flat sandal;  tie-front kimono top;  neon pink crossbody;  kimono sleeve maxi dress;  double band pink heels;  pink and orange sneakers;  v-neck collared sweater;  braided band heels

Sweata weatha, friends.  And while I’m pleased as pie to surround myself with all the cozy knits, I’m just as excited to get back into denim-wearing days.  I used to be mainly a dress gal, but these days, give me a relaxed pair of jeans and a comfy sweater and I’m one happy camper.  And recently, I found so many jeans and sweaters to love from Free Assembly at Walmart.

Y’all, if you haven’t checked out the Free Assembly line yet, I’m telling you, it’s a must.  It’s filled with quality, well-made pieces that you’ll be grabbing for over and over again.  The collared sweater above could not be softer, and it’s just one of those pieces that goes with pretty much anything.  (I sized up for a looser fit…and then I bought it in black too.)  The denim above is right on trend and comparable quality to any designer pair I’ve tried.  Seriously, if you like a good non-stretch 90’s pair, give these a try.

As for the comfy combo below, I’m 100% here for the jogger style of denim this season, and this easy pair comes in three great washes.  Wear them with a sweater, or dress them down with a basic sweatshirt and sneakers.  And while we’re on the subject of dressing down, don’t sleep on Free Assembly’s activewear.  These leggings paired with this tunic sweatshirt (worn this week on my Instagram stories) look so expensive in person.  I’m also mildly obsessed these perfect joggers and just may be posted up in them the entire holiday season.

So whether you’re on the hunt for some on-trend denim or looking to up your activewear game, you can’t go wrong with the Free Assembly line at Walmart.

xoxo

Free Assembly denim joggers, ivory tee, and cable cardigan;  handbag

Photos thanks to Katie Stuart

Brought to you by Walmart

It’s sweater dress season, friends, and while I was pretty gung ho about them in the past, I’ve gotten much more picky about them in recent years.  I’ve had too many that just never made it out of the closet much: too tight here, to loose there, too short, too hot for SoCal, you name it.  And while I’m passing on most these days, I couldn’t order this button-front, flowy cardigan version quicker.  I seriously couldn’t love this silhouette more.  (The v-neck was a little low for me, so I added a tank underneath.)

I’m loving it paired with short boots but think that a pair of taller or over-the-knee boots would dress the look up even more.  It’s admittedly a little pricey, so I’m rounding up 25 more sweater dresses I’m loving below.  Hope everyone has a great rest of their week!

xoxo

This might sound crazy, but happy October, friends! I really can’t even believe it’s October already, but I am THRILLED.  I mean, summer is fine, but October, November, December – it’s the best quarter of the whole year, I don’t care what anyone says.  Southern California even welcomed the month with a couple of random, out-of-the-blue thunder storms so far, and I took the opportunity to bust out some favorite cozy neutrals that I’m loving right now.  (I ordered this sweater back when it was like 90 degrees and have been impatiently waiting to wear it.  Sadly this color is currently sold out, but it’s fully stocked in black.)

And as for the shoes, they were such a happy discovery.  Anyone with wide feet like mine can probably agree that fall boots, booties, mules, loafers, etc. can be actual torture devices on the foot, and if you find something that comes in a wide width, it’s normally NOT very cute.  I saw these little suede mules during the Evereve store opening at Fashion Island and loved them but just didn’t know how comfy they would be for me.  A couple weeks later I was searching them online (yet again) and noticed that they come in a wide width option on the Dolce Vita site!  I ordered them immediately (along with the now sold out pair below) and am so happy with the fit, the style, the look- LOVE!  If you have feel on the wider side, I can’t recommend these more.   (And if you’re looking for a great look for less, you can’t go wrong with this pair.)

xoxo

Madewell jeans;  Free Assembly tee;  H&M shacket;  Dolce Vita booties (wide width here);  Ray-Ban sunglasses;  Amazon hat

Photos thanks to Katie Stuart

While your Instagram feed (and all social media feeds for that matter) may be flooded with posts about the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale (guilty – you can catch mine here), it certainly isn’t the only sale in town.

Recently I popped into LOFT for the first time in basically forever and ended up snagging a couple of pieces that I LOVE.  In fact, I was pretty surprised by how many cute things I saw.  So many tops, dresses, and just plain lounge-y goodness that I’m loving for summer, and currently it’s ALL on sale.  The entire site is 40% off, except for the sale section which is an additional 50% off already reduced prices, with code LOVEIT.

My gingham smocked tank above and the cutest striped top that I’m wearing below?  Both on sale under $20 – no Nordy Club, sell-out stressing, midnight shopping required.  My FAVORITE summer-weight joggers are also included in the sale and now come in three colors.  (You can see a full post on those here.)  So if all your favorites from the #nsale are selling out (or you just want to shop for pieces to wear right now), then take a little scroll below where I’m rounding up some of my favorite finds from the giant LOFT sale.

LOFT striped top (Use code LOVEIT for additional 50% off);  Free People shorts;  Amazon sandals and horn bangles;  similar hat;  Eric Javits handbag

xoxo

Marc Fisher booties

similar band tees;  Barefoot Dreams cardigan;  similar Tory Burch slides

Nordstrom long sleeve PJ’s;  PMD Clean

Nordstrom short PJ’s

Spanx layered shorts

Striped Madewell cardigan;  Solid Madewell Cardigans

Spanx faux leather leggings

similar Madewell denim jacket;  similar sweater shorts

Barefoot Dreams dog bed;  similar Ugg slippers

Happy Tuesday, friends!  In case you haven’t heard on social media (over and over again), the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale kicked off for card-holders this week.  (I’ve never been one to have a store credit card, but I did get the Nordstrom debit card years ago to shop the sale – it connects straight to my own bank debit card.)  I personally can’t shop the sale until Friday, but I figured I would put together some faves ahead of time for all the gals that can shop the sale right now.

The sale certainly has mixed reviews these days (as opposed to the all-out bonanza that it used to be in the blogger world), and while I don’t think I’ll be buying much, I do think there are some really great finds.  Above are some of the things I own and love from years past, and below are some of the pieces I’m digging this year.

Up at the top of my list?  I usually snag a new set of these PJ’s every year, am loving these ivory slides, eyeing this perfume set (I already use the Santal 33 scent), and although I do not need another sweater that I’ll never wear in Southern California, this one is just so pretty.  There are a couple of dresses I’m loving below, and I think these pants could be so pretty (although I haven’t seen them in person).  Turns out maybe I’ve got a few more things in my shopping cart than I thought I would, imagine that, ha!

If you’re shopping the sale, then here’s hoping your faves don’t sell out before you snag ’em!

xoxo