Spring Magic

It's no secret I love spring, the two main reasons being; one: my birthday, and two: blossoms. 

 

I still haven't made it to D.C. to see the cherry blossoms there, but even here in Connecticut we've got our beautiful spots; Wooster Square in New Haven has yet to disappoint. The blossoms always come and go in a flash, and this year their peak weekend was doomed to get rained out, so I hustled to get there before the inclement weather arrived. So did everyone else, and the park was packed at golden hour.

Spot was visiting, so he came along too, though he was far more interested in sniffing than taking photos. I swapped out his retractable leash for a jeweled one - don't tell his mom!

Few things are quite as magical as pink flowers and the glow of the setting sun. Even if it only happens but once a year.

The Rundown
Sage Green Sweater Banana Republic
White Wide Leg Jeans Banana Republic
Sandals Seychelles via TJMaxx
Vintage Japanese Picnic Bag eBay
Link Earrings with Pearl Drop South Moon Under
Bold Cherry Blossom Necklace c/o Rellery
Sunglasses "State Street" Ray-Ban
Dog Spot

Knits and Denim

While I am in no way ready for summer to be over, this week has cooled down significantly. Rather than fear for the worst (I'm sure there will still be quite a few hot days before fall officially arrives) I'm embracing the cooler temps with a new knit dress, in the perfect summer into fall shade.

Curve hugging is not my usual silhouette, but I've been embracing it with these knit dresses, as they are so comfortable and easy to wear, and make me feel put together with the least amount of effort.

Today I have a special guest in my photos, Ollie, a mini Australian Shepard I was sitting over the weekend. He is a wonderful dog, definitely a handful though! Being with such a high energy dog for 48 hours made me realize just how easy and laid-back Chloe was.

I'm also collaborating with several other bloggers to show seven ways of styling a denim jacket. You can see everyone's looks on Instagram!

       

The Rundown
Rust Knit Dress H&M
Denim Jacket Gap similar
Wedge Sandals Loft similar
Round Rattan Bag Etsy similar
Palma Wide Fedora Lack of Color
Gold Ball Earrings Kohl's
Gold Rectangle Chain Necklace Etsy
 Gold Bracelet The Cavernous Jewelry Box
Thin Gold Ring Etsy via Ellyn Blue Jewelry
Dog Ollie (borrowed)

Farewell, My Pet

Yesterday we had to say goodbye to our beloved Chloe. She lived an incredibly long live of over 19 years and brought joy to our lives each and every day. When I took that last set of outfit photos, I was adamant that Chloe be in them, because I knew it would be our last chance, and I'm grateful that Chloe has been a part of this blog since the beginning. Even thought I've known this day has been coming, that hasn't made it any easier, but looking at all the old photos brings a big smile to my face, so here are some of my favorites, in no particular order.

               

Goodbye Chloe, Love you forever.

Past Season Favorites

As much as I love shopping and having a constant rotation of new pieces to share - believe you me, springtime is my favorite season to shop and a lot of 'add to cart' has been going on here - my ultimate goal is to have a closet full of pieces I love and can style again and again.

The Denim Jacket
I found this jacket in 2013 and haven't craved a new denim jacket since. It was a long search for just the right wash, length, and level of distressing. Plus price always counts and I know I managed to get this from Gap at a discount. My choice proved to be on the money, since Gap is still selling a near identical jacket today - pick it up and hopefully keep it in your closet forever.

The Wrap Dress
I've always had a soft spot for wrap dresses, as they are one piece which can be relied upon to always accentuate my hourglass figure. I love when designers include a hook eye at the bustline, because that is usually the easiest way to make things a little more work appropriate, however I'm not opposed to adding a safety pin when needed. While this dress carries the current trend of 'the' leopard print, I don't see it falling from regular rotation all too quickly.

The Two Tone Shoe
Chanel's two tone slingback has been around since 1957 and isn't going away anytime soon. That shoe was my main inspiration when I had the chance to design this pair with Shoes of Prey (now defunct, so sad!) While I could have easily chosen a slingback style, I decided I didn't have to have an outright copy and selected a d'orsay silhouette instead.

The Ring Shoulder Bag
When Chloe introduced their Faye shoulder bag with its signature ring in 2015 it quickly became a must have piece. The 70's inspired bag felt just as fresh four years ago as it does now with new styles still being created and plenty of bags taking the inspiration as this Banana Republic bag did in 2016. While I frequently settle for 'designer inspired' over owning actual designer pieces I still try to look for quality items I'm going to want to wear for many years.

Pearl Leash
Even Chloe has her past season favorites! This pearl Fabuleash was a TJMaxx find back in 2011 for a mere $7.50. She wears it a lot and always loves the extra bit of glam. I don't know why I never got her the matching collar!

      

The Rundown
Leopard Wrap Dress via Poshmark similar
Denim Jacket Gap similar
Toe Cap Pumps "Varesse 70" Shoes of Prey similar
Suede Accordion Bag Banana Republic similar
 Filigree Stud Earrings Thrifted similar
 Layered Charm Necklace c/o Grand Avenue Jewelry
 Cloudy Agate Bracelet J.Crew
Midi Stackable Diamond Ring c/o AUrate New York
Thin Gold Ring Etsy via Ellyn Blue Jewelry

Dog Chloe

Pearl Leash Fabuleash

Linking up with
Pink Sole's How I Spring

Stroll Through La Jolla

Over the weekend my sister, her roommate, her roommate's dog Henry, and I went on an overnight trip to San Diego. Our first stop was in La Jolla to brunch and visit the seals. Even though I know my sister and I stopped there on our 2016 trip, I don't recall taking much time to wander around the town, which is quite adorable.


When I saw this pink hotel, I knew my pink backdrops had to continue, and I was excited to get Henry in on the shoot. I hope Chloe doesn't feel offended I'm walking other dogs!

       

The Rundown
Red and White Printed Wrap Dress H&M similar
Sandals Target
Black Straw Bag Zara
Beaded Hoop Earrings Gorjana
Necklace "Greer V" Gorjana similar
Bracelets The Cavernous Jewelry Box
Thin Gold Ring Etsy via Ellyn Blue Jewelry
Sunglasses "Meteor" Ray-Ban c/o TJMaxx
Nail Color "Couture Curator" Essie
Dog Henry

Linking up with I Do deClaire's Confident Twosday

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