Obsessions: Layered Pearls & Beads

{photos by my BB, @ Nordstrom Fashion Island}

I've been officially sucked into the new trend of statement jewelry (I blame it on J.Crew's "rule of three" and my lovely new obsession, the J.Crew Carlyle necklace).  I saw this massive display of long pearl and bead necklaces at Nordstrom this weekend, and I'm obsessed!  The sheer length of these necklaces is awesome in itself, but when you layer them they create such an easy, messy, yet flawlessly put-together look.  

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Lovely Eats: Fukada

Over the weekend I had a hankering for some fresh, home-style Japanese food. To satisfy my craving, D and I went for a quick dinner at one of our favorite Japanese restaurants in town before seeing Toy Story 3 (which was great! highly recommend it). Fukada is known for their homemade udon and soba noodles, organic ingredients and authentic Japanese dishes and everything we have tried there has been absolutely delicious.

{hamachi sashimi}

{sweet potato tempura}

 {seafood salad}

{cold udon with hot dipping broth}

Lovely Essentials: The Workweek

{black and cream pieces}

{black and cream cardigans}

{scarves for the chilly office}

{big yet conservative jewelry; layers of pearls}

{colored shoes add character to outfits}

Lovely Decor: Jazzy Yellow Chair

{before}

i'm always so inspired by design*sponge online. the website features such unique and affordable home decor ideas that really make you go 'wow, i can totally do that myself too!' my favorite posts are the ones where people take old or broken furniture and restore it or re-do it to give it their own personal flavor.

i've been wanting a cute computer chair for a while, so one weekend i felt so inspired that i actually went down to our local salvation army and picked up a wooden chair that i could makeover. my husband (and i...haha) sanded the old varnish off, then i painted a coat of primer, and a few coats of paint. without further ado, my new jazzy yellow computer chair!

{after}

Lovely Books: Classy by Derek Blasberg

“Logos are the equivalent of blinged-out hubcaps. Sure, you can spend a bunch of money buying four hubcaps that look like disco balls, but if you’re slapping them on the four flat tires of a beat-up Buick, it’s going to look ridiculous.” –Derek Blasberg, from his new book Classy.

{Fashionista}

I saw this book on Terry Richardson's blog and was curious about it so I looked it up on Amazon.  I went to Barnes & Noble and skimmed through some of the pages and had to buy it.  Only strange/embarrassing thing about buying this book (besides the title, and people thinking you wannabe "classy") is that it was in the self-help section of the bookstore!  Whatevs, I have no shame.  This book is hilarious!  

One of the many entertaining topics Derek Blasburg writes about is throwing a fabulous party, and based on my previous knowledge of house parties, I could definitely use a tip or two!  In my experience, a house party either includes sitting in someone's garage on beach chairs drinking Natural Light and eating lots of fatty fried/grilled/smoked/marinated meat or raw fish (learned from growing up in Hawaii), or it involves stacks of red plastic cups, jungle juice, party fouls, and keg stands in someone's dirty old house with sticky floors and couches that the residents had picked up off the side of the road (learned from college).  

And while my known definition of a party is not too shabby, I'd have to say, basically, I'm very un-classy.

Lovely Essentials: Basic Black

{Nine West peep toes}
not only are these the most comfortable pair of shoes I own

but they were a steal at the Nine West outlet in Hawaii

{Liquid eyeliner}
raccoon-eye-free thank you very much!

{Canon Rebel xti with Canon EF-S 17-55 2.8 IS lens}
makes me look almost professional--
now I just have to learn how to use it in more than one setting

{Marc Jacobs Patchwork Stam}
a 20 pound disguise for hand lotion, makeup, a water bottle, and anything else you might need once in a blue moon-- but the day you need it and have it will make the shoulder and neck pain alllllllll worth it!

{Lululemon Groove Pants}
comfort, fit, and flexibility of these pants make working out endurable

{my Ray-bans}
living in southern california requires a tolerance for extreme heat,
lots of sunscreen, and multiple pairs of sunglasses with polarized lenses

Lovely Cakes: Cheeseburger

Happy Birthday to my brother! This is a yellow and chocolate cake cheeseburger with cream cheese frosting. I'm going to stick a bbq skewer in the middle with a sign that says "Happy Birthday _____ !" when we sing to him tomorrow. The internet is wonderful because you can find so many fun and creative ideas. I forgot how much I enjoy making cakes for people. =)

Lovely Eats: Cream Pot - Honolulu, Hawaii

{photos by H}

I keep daydreaming about going back to Cream Pot in Hawaii.

I hope I can make it there when I go back in July. I am dying to try the souffle pancakes!!!

Obsessions: ROARKE new york Le Charlot bib necklace

i WANT this necklace! The intricate beading and embellishments make this piece so dreamy and unique. And because of the glittery embellishments, it could be worn dressed up with a cocktail dress, or casually with a t-shirt and jeans. The price is pretty steep at $395, but surprisingly shopbop.com only has 3 left!

Lovely Outfits: Flower Garden

Rugby Stripe Ginny dress from J. Crew, F21 necklace, satin yellow flats from a shoe store in Rome, Italy)

Lovely Favorites: Summer Lovin'

happy 27

marc by marc jacobs - suki

fresh

hamachi nigiri

comfort

sperry top-siders in ice

still appropriate

lightweight floral scarf

split second decision

rebecca minkoff - morning after clutch ostrich

sticky fingers

strawberry, pineapple, mango shaved ice w/ condensed milk

beach cruisin'

bike rentals - huntington beach, ca

Obsessions: Aritzia

click on the picture to see the site :)


Stumbled upon this boutique while vacationing in SF with the family. LOVE their collection of effortless basics and perfectly chic dresses.  If only they had a store in so. cali!

Lovely Eats: Le Guignol

Appetizers: French Onion Soup, Grape Tomato Salad with Blue Cheese & Walnuts, Bone Marrow

Entrees: Rack of Lamb, Seafood Boulliabasse

Desserts: Chocolate & Espresso cake, Cracked Black Pepper & Olive Oil Cake with Blue Cheese Ice Cream, Cinnamon Croissant Pudding

On Saturday, my J & I went to dinner at Le Guignol, a quaint French restaurant in town. We both aren't real fans of French food, but heard this restaurant was fantastic so we decided to give it a try. The food was fantastic! So flavorful and delicious, with perfect portion sizes and affordable prices. The restaurant is also BYOB so we enjoyed a bottle of Du Mol "Ryan" Pinot Noir ~ one of my faves! We definitely plan to go back again soon.

Lovely Finds: Between BBMs

what's your drink? grenadine.

frequently referenced


one monday morning


 

the Italy boots

homescreen


[a sampling of photos off my phone]

Obsessions: Madewell's new website

i just got an email from j.crew today that their new sister site www.madewell.com has just launched.

i was eager to visit the site as i knew it would resemble j.crew's captivating website... and i was right. madewell is basically the vintage-inspired-lived-in-relaxed sister of j.crew.

i already found a crapload of pieces i absolutely neeeeeed.

Obsessions: Valentino Lace-Printed Rubber Rain Boots

If I lived in a city that rained cats and dogs and I had to own a pair of rainboots...I would totally get these! So girly and cute. $295 from Saks.

Lovely Blogs: P.S. I made this

this is pretty darn cool, and looks almost easy enough to actually 

take the time to try it out.  most of the time when I see DIY stuff i'm like 

"meh... you could just BUY that... and save yourself the time AND trouble. 

AND you still have to pay for the tools and materials."  

but in this case, it's a t-shirt, scissors, needle & thread, and pins.  
all stuff i already have!

click on the photo to go to the site.

Lovely Outfits: Getting Back to Reality

While dreaming of Chanel is fun, it's a good thing we have more affordable fashion alternatives like JCrew to save the day! These would go perfectly with H's Max Studio dress. I especially like the art-deco feel of the necklace, and the tiered clutch matches the tiers on the dress! The entire outfit can be paired with foolproof black pumps for a girly and demure look.

Crystal Carlyle Necklace ($98)

Mercury Clutch ($78)