For the days when you want to wear sweats but feel the need to wear “real clothes” (hello, responsibilities), there’s just no beating an easy, comfy dress.  With sneakers or booties (or sandals in the spring), I love the effortlessly polished vibe that a dress gives off over your everyday jeans and sneakers, and luckily here in SoCal, we can almost wear dresses all year long.  Almost.  So today I’m rounding up six super affordable, won’t break the bank styles that you can wear now and into spring.

Dry January is almost done and California is slowly reopening, so I’m thinking I’ll be making my way to a weekend brunch in one of these dresses REAL soon.  Happy almost weekend, friends!

xoxo

Time & Tru dress;  No Boundaries handbag;  Golden Goose sneakers;  Quay sunglasses LOFT dress (use code LOVEIT for additional 60% off);  Free People boots (similar here);  Amazon handbag and hat Z Supply dress (also love the burgundy);  Marc Fisher booties;  Ferragamo handbag Red Dress boutique dress;  Dolce Vita sneakers;  Bottega Veneta handbag Scoop dress – similar print here, here and here;  Marc Fisher booties;  Blank NYC jacket

Another day, another midi / maxi dress.  There have been lots of these on the blog lately, and I swear it’s for good reason.  Worn barefoot around the house, a good flowy midi just feels a little more glam than the old sweatpants without being too fussy or uncomfortable.  When I saw this one, I just thought it was too pretty to pass up.  It’s super lightweight, but warning – it’s a lot of fabric so I’d definitely recommend sizing down.  (I’m wearing an XS for reference and just paired it with my own slip instead of the one it came with.)

Once we’re back open for business around here (California is taking things REAL slow), I can’t wait to wear it out of the house with studded sandals or wedges and a dressed up crossbody bag.  And my first stop on the post quarantine out and about tour?  Definitely somewhere with chips, queso, and a yummy skinny margarita.  Or a mall.  God knows this mall rat loves a good mall and has definitely been missing South Coast Plaza and Fashion Island.  Or a solo movie afternoon at The Lot.  What have you guys been looking forward to post-quarantine?

xoxo

Photos thanks to Katie Stuart

Happy Presidents’ Day, friends!  Who’s got the day off today?  The husband is working, so I’m using the day to catch up on emails, organize my office, and clean this house.  Annnd spend a little time outside with the pup because the weather here is beautiful – chilly and windy by SoCal standards but sunny and so, so pretty.  I’ve currently got the windows open listening to the breeze, and I’m not complaining.

And guess who’s back with a new blog post finally.  That’s right, this slacker.  It’s no secret around here that jumpsuits are my jam (I even wore one for engagement pictures a couple of years ago), and I’m thinking that this one will be my fave of the spring.  It’s super easy to dress up or down and can be worn day to night.  (Metallic heels above, studded sandals below – easy peasy.)

And where I scored this little jumper is the best part.  Local gals, are you familiar with Anthill shopNplay?  It’s the newish shop attached to Eat Chow (a serious local favorite of mine) on Newport Blvd, and if you like clothing, shoes, accessories, baby and children’s clothes, party supplies, and novelty gifts, then you’re gonna need to check it out.  (Seriously, they have everything.)

Because of the name and I guess because Anthill replaced what used to be a baby store, I kind of just assumed that it was filled with baby and kids’ things.  And it is downstairs.  (We’re talking, really really cute baby and kids’ things.)  But upstairs, there’s a HUGE selection of women’s clothing, shoes, accessories, vintage finds, you name it from affordable brands as well as lust-worthy designers.  The selection of straw handbags and beach bags on the way upstairs was more than I could handle with upcoming trips to Palm Springs and Cabo on the horizon.  And don’t even get me started on the towers of beaded bracelets spread around.

Their website is still a bit in the works, but if you’re local, then I can’t recommend this little shop more for things that you just might not find anywhere else.  Trust me – I’ve searched and searched for this jumpsuit online, and it just isn’t there.  And sometimes, that’s just plain refreshing.  As is a laidback Monday to start the week.  Hope everyone has a great week ahead!

xoxo

 dRA jumpsuit (c/o) Anthill;  Romwe sandals (c/o);  Sam Edelman handbag;  Levi’s jacket;  Kendra Scott necklace;  Ray-Ban sunglasses 

Photos thanks to Felicia Lasala

Ever took a trip you loved so much that you changed your departing flight to give you just a few more hours and one more breakfast there?  Today I’m excited to share more from our trip to Jackson Hole, Wyoming that we took just about a month ago.  This post has been a couple of weeks in the works, but I feel like it’s been planned for years.  As I mentioned back here, Jackson Hole had been a bucket list destination of mine for a while, so when Eric and a friend of ours got to dreaming up a trip, I immediately hopped on board.  As did a second friend, so tickets were booked and we were off.

So many people have asked Why Jackson Hole? and What did you do there? Where did you stay?  If you’ve ever been, then you already know the Why – because it’s amazing.  What did we do?  Mainly, we roamed.  (Our hotel was perfect walking distance from everything.)  We went in all the shops around the town square, walked down all the cozy side streets, checked out the art, found a random bridge over the prettiest creek, and ate ALL of the chili.  Below, a few of our favorite spots from the trip.

The Penthouse at the White Buffalo Club – Just typing that feels bougie AF, but hear me out.  There were four of us – Eric and I plus two guy friends – and the week we visited was one week shy of Jackson Hole’s high season.  (AKA, more popular, more expensive season.)  For those reasons, it was actually really affordable and SO perfect for our group.  There were three bedrooms, each with its own full bathroom, along with a kitchen, dining room, full media room, and an outdoor jacuzzi space on the roof, so everyone had their own personal space along with a ton of common space to hang out.  In general, you’ll want to be out and about, exploring Jackson Hole, but some nights it was a whopping 9 degrees out so yeah, we appreciated being able to hang at “home” sometimes.  When we do make our way back to Jackson Hole, we will most likely be parking it right back here.  (And will most likely try out the restaurant then.)

Million Dollar Cowboy Bar – This place is just a staple in Jackson.  When I told people we were going, anyone who had been before told us we had to stop in here.  And truth be told, on our first night, we dropped our bags at the White Buffalo and headed to the Million Dollar Cowboy Bar to grab a drink.  In a serious It’s a Small World moment, we ran into a friend of a friend from Newport Beach who hooked us up with tickets to the Snocross races that were in town.  Ever get to stand in the (imported) snow and watch snowmobiles race?  Well, now I can say that I have, and we enjoyed it so much that we watched two nights in a row.  But back to the bar – there’s live music and barstools that are actually saddles and some pretty good fried pickles to boot (pun intended).  We found ourselves stopping in here multiple times.

Breakfast at Cafe Genevieve – This one I’m gonna say is one of my favorite breakfast places, like, ever.  When it’s 12 degrees out, you find yourself really appreciating a good home-cooked meal, and Cafe Genevieve did not disappoint.  It was the coziest little spot with what seemed like a Southern flair to me.  I had the Grits & Eggs and we ordered biscuits and gravy for the table, so, you know, diet food.  Everyone was super pleased with their meals here.

The Silver Dollar Grill at the Wort Hotel – For me, this was my favorite spot for both lunch and the nightlife, and I think as a consensus, it was everyone’s favorite chili.  (I told you, we were basically chili-hopping.)  There were live bands a couple of the nights we were in town, and the food here was so, so good.  Anytime of day, you could stop in at The Wort and meet someone new to strike up a conversation with.  And so we did.

Breakfast and sweets at Persephone Bakery – Admittedly, I missed breakfast here because I was in the National Elk Refuge at the time shooting a few photos, but the guys said it was great.  Plus, Eric (knowing my probable FOMO) brought back a smorgasbord of things for me to try, including a massive Rice Krispies treat that I snacked on for the entire trip.  (It was the holidays and vacation after all.)  The next time we’re in Jackson, I’m definitely making it here to peruse the treats myself.

Snake River Brewing – This local brewery was another favorite of ours because it was such a cool place to hang.  The boys tasted flights of beers while I had a soft pretzel as big as my head and an H2OMG Ale, all while thawing our bones next to a wood-burning fire.  (The fire spot was so key.)  Once you’ve thawed, bundle back up again and hit the vertical farm that’s across the street for an experience that’s both inspiring and slightly confusing.

Dinner or apps at Snake River Grill – On our last night in town, we had reservations at Local, but our server at Cafe Genevieve told us that we just had to check out Snake River Grill.  So we decided to pop in for appetizers before dinner because that’s what you do when you’re on an eating tour and apparently really trying to pack it on for the holidays.  I kid.  Sort of.  This place is cozy and nice, and the food was delicious.  I think we were all pretty sad that we actually had to leave and go to dinner.  The next time we are in town, we are for sure having dinner here.

Dinner and drinks at Local – Although we were sad to leave Snake River Grill, we really enjoyed our dinner at local.  They’re known for their local steaks and such (which is why we went), and I was in it to win it with the list of sides – gimme all the truffled mac and cheese.  Local also has really good craft cocktails.  I had a favorite drink there, but unfortunately it’s no longer on their menu and I can’t for the life of me remember the name.  So that’s helpful, Nikki, but in general, you can’t go wrong.

Overall, this was one of my favorite trips that I’ve taken, and there’s no hesitation when we say that we will be going back.  And soon.  The people, the food, the amazing scenery – there’s nothing not to love about Jackson Hole, except maybe for the freezing temps (which honestly I didn’t even mind).  Which is why now we just have to go back in the summer, right?

xoxo

Photos thanks to Erin Wheat

Soo, are you shopped out yet?  I’m not gonna lie, it seems like every year this whole Cyber Week thing gets a little more out of hand.  While I LOVE a good sale, I’ve usually hit my shopping limit by the time Cyber Monday rolls around.  But if you’re unlike me and happened to take it easy on Black Friday, then today’s your day, girl.  Below I’m listing a few of my favorite sites for scoring a few deals and steals today, and with retailers offering up to 50% off, there’s no time like the present to cross a couple of names off of that Christmas list.

Today’s look also includes a few deals.  I bought this little navy floral dress to wear for my birthday this year, but I think it could be so cute for upcoming holiday parties.  Plus, it’s currently 25% off for a limited time.  The heels are under $40, and right now you can use code SBF-STYLE to take 20% off any Strathberry handbags – I get a ton of compliments on this one.  (Plus, use code BPMC17 for 40% off any backpacks and MC Midi bags.)

There are only a few hours left to shop the best sales, so don’t miss out!  Happy shopping, gals!

xoxo

Abercrombie – 50% off everything

Anthropologie – 20% off all full-priced items

Ann Taylor – 50% off everything + free shipping with code BESTMONDAY

ASOS – 30% off everything with code EPIC30

Banana Republic – 50% off everything

Baublebar – 35% off everything with code CYBER35

Express – 50% off everything + free shipping

Framebridge – 20% off all black frames with code Black20

Gap – 50% off everything

GiGi New York – up to 35% off sitewide, details here

Gorjana – 20% off sitewide with code GOLDEN20

Henri Bendel – 30-60% off sitewide

J.Crew – 40% off plus an additional 10% off with code SHOPFAST

Julie Vos – up to 35% off

Kate Spade – 30% off full-priced items, 40% off sale with code MOREJOY

Kendra Scott – 20% off everything with code YELLOW20

Loft – 50% off everything + free shipping with code CLICK

Loren Hope – 20% off with code SHOPNOW

Lulu & Georgia – 20% off everything with code CYBER

Madewell – 25% off with code GOODMOOD

Minted – 25% off everything with code CM2017

Nasty Gal – 50% off everything

Nine West – 60% off sitewide

Old Navy – 50% off everything

Rebecca Minkoff – 25% off sitewide

Tula – 20% off + free shipping (orders over $30) with code MYSTYLEDIARIES

Vince Camuto – 40% off everything with code CYBER40

World Market – buy more, save more with code CYBERSALE

Photos thanks to Felicia Lasala

A few weeks ago, I had the super sweet opportunity to meet Reese Witherspoon and see a screening of her new movie Home Again.  I know, total pinch me moment.  My Southern self was super stoked and had all these things I wanted to say, ask, tell, shout…basically ALL of the things.  But I got my turn to say hello and barely mumbled something about loving the movie before posing for a round of photos looking beyond awkward.  You know, you win some, you look like a turd in some.  (The movie is actually super cute though, and you should definitely grab your girls and go see it.)

Anywho, before said meet-and-greet I realized that I had nothing to wear to meet Reese Witherspoon because, well, obviously, and found myself perusing racks at Nordstrom a couple of hours before I was supposed to be dressed and ready to go.  If you’re late to something in LA, you just blame it on the traffic, right?

Since fall fashion is currently upon us, finding something that was heatwave-approved was a bit of a challenge.  In the end, I scooped up this little floral dress, actually changed into it in the dressing room, and hit the road with, like, a minute to spare.  No big deal, hey, Reese, sorry I’m such a hot mess, loved Sweet Home Alabama!  Except I didn’t say any of that #IRL.  I did, however, leave with a new favorite dress that I’ve now worn numerous times including this slightly sweaty, overcast day.  A floral dress is always a good idea, right?

Hope everyone is having a great week!

xoxo

Photos thanks to Gabi Wells

Well guys, I’m not much of a gambler, but I’d say if there’s one safe bet out there it’s that every blogger and fashion-loving gal will definitely jump the gun on some fall fashion in the coming weeks.  You know who I’m talking about.  You’ve seen the girl sweating it out in some leather pants or leggings like she’s taking a cue from Ross Geller.

And I can’t blame that girl!  I mean, you get your hands on some fresh fall threads, and you’re ready to get real cozy, sit by a fireplace, sip on something pumpkin flavored perhaps.  (Fast forward to me shooting the coziest of cashmere sweaters and ponchos yesterday in a Southern California heatwave.  No comment.)

So in these in-between-y days where my heart is saying fall and my sweaty forehead is saying summer, I’m all about some sweet transitional pieces like this lace-up little black shift dress.  For now, rock it solo with an embellished heel and oversized clutch, and later on, throw on a layering turtleneck and the snakeskin boots that make me feel like JLo.  (And who doesn’t wanna feel like JLo these days?  Just sayin’.)

So do yourself a favor, girl, and put down the sweater dress – unless of course you live in an area with weather that’s actually cool enough, and in that case, lucky you – and pick up something a smidge more practical.  Oh, and speaking of practical, I can’t recommend this bootie and handbag combo more.  Promise, they’ll be your new go-to neutrals.  Hope everyone is having a great week.

xoxo

Photos thanks to Vincent Elejorde