Shein

It’s officially springtime! Nothing says spring more than pastel colors! I’m obsessed with this lavender dress from Shein, so I wanted to share some of my other favorite purple dresses. Lavender is one of those colors that actually look great on most people.

What do you do when you get a fast-fashion piece of clothing and you just aren’t feeling it? Most of the time, I bet you return it. But sometimes, it actually can cost more to return the item than just to keep it.

Since I knew I was traveling to Puerto Vallarta, I also knew I wanted to bring a white dress with me. I had a feeling white would look amazing against all the tropical colors, so I went on a search for white dresses under $25.

On my recent trip to Puerto Vallarta, I wanted to have some fun, flowy pieces. I knew it was going to be hot, and I knew I wanted to be comfortable but put together. I started searching for tassel dresses because I thought the little tassels just felt like a fun touch perfect for a Mexican vacation. Of all the cute tassel dresses, I opted for this green Maxi because I love the army green color and I also think it’s a great choice to transition from summer to fall.

Do you remember when I told you I didn’t like animal print? Well, I have recently learned those thoughts were way off. I mean, I do still think animal prints can sometimes look dated, cheesy, and even a little trashy. Yep, I said it. But I’ve also found a lot of animal prints that are super cute, fun, and unique.

I’ve always been a fan of sweater dresses. I personally find they are very flattering, super cozy, and great for fall or winter. When I saw this red ribbed midi dress, I knew I had to order it.

I have a problem. I am obsessed with coats and jackets. Right now, my entire wardrobe consists of coats, jackets, jeans, and Ts. Its starting to feel like rut. But then I add a new jacket, like this colorblock jacket, and all my old jeans and Ts feel fresh again.

Are you a fan of plaid coats? I love them, but I wasn’t sure I really wanted to get one because they are so very specific. They are bold and pretty loud. I decided that it would be worth it if I found one that was affordable and versatile. That’s why I wanted to share with you some of the cutest plaid coats for women, all under $50.

Do you ever find a piece of clothing that is so comfortable, you don’t want to take it off? That’s exactly how I feel about this ultra-comfortable black jumpsuit. I love it so much, I decided to try styling it different ways and thought it would be fun to share a few black jumpsuit outfit ideas.

One of my favorite clothing options in the fall and winter are sweater dresses. I love them because they come in so many different shapes, colors, styles and fits. You can find bodycon black sweater dresses, like the one I’m wearing, or much flowier sweater dresses, like this check-print one and this ribbed one I wore a few seasons ago.

Have you noticed a major trend right now is two piece outfits with matching tops and skirts? I wasn’t sure how I felt about this trend, in general, but there is something really easy about matching pieces.

It’s February! I can’t believe one month of 2020 is already behind us. Although it does feel like Christmas was way more than a month ago, I also can’t believe it’s almost spring, at least in LA! I’m trying to enjoy these cooler temps for a little longer and that’s where this gorgeous turtleneck midi dress comes in.

Have you heard of swiss dot dresses? Until I started researching this post to accompany my new favorite black dress, I hadn’t heard the term either. But to my surprise, I found so many lovely dresses that all used the term swiss dot dresses. It’s clearly a fashion term that is consistently used for clothing that have monochromatic dots on them.

If you had asked me two weeks ago when I shot this Shein look if I’d be talking about anything other than cute floral dresses, I wouldn’t have believed you. If you would have told me that many people are afraid our economy is going to collapse and you could score major COVID retail sales, I would have asked you, “what’s COVID?”

Since we will all be home for the next month or two, maybe longer, now is a great time to try out a new loungewear set. Since I’m working from home, I recently ordered a whole bunch of cute loungewear, which was affordable but still stylish. One of my biggest pet peeves is when people wear frumpy loungewear or pajamas out of the house.

The weather in LA lately has been quite warm. We were in the 80s the last week, so it’s definitely time to break out the spring and summer clothes. I love wearing maxi dresses because they are so easy to wear. They breathe and flow so well. I found this red floral print maxi for under $30, so I decided I wanted to share some of my favorite red floral maxi dresses with you.

I got this black and gold dress before COVID happened. I definitely bought it with going out in mind. Its the type of dress I’d wear to a nice dinner, or to a wedding. It’s fancy, but not that fancy. It can definitely be worn for a night out or wedding, but it can also be dressed down for work with a long blazer.

It’s officially white dress season people! I mean, I don’t really buy-into not wearing white before Memorial Day, but a lot of people do. Although, I definitely do tend to break out the white dresses a lot more when it’s summertime. There is something so clean and summery about a crisp white dress. I recently got this new white eyelet dress and I love it! It’s so whimsical and flowy. It feels just perfect for summer.

One of my favorite summer trends is matching two piece sets. I recently ordered a few different matching sets from Shein. If you haven’t shopped at Shein, one of the reasons I love it is because you can try different trends without spending too much. That way, if you only wear it for a season or two, you won’t feel bad about donating it or sticking it in the back of your closet for the next time the trend comes around (and it will).

Who’s ready for the 4th of July? How are you going to celebrate this year? And most importantly, what are you wearing? I wanted to share some red and white outfit ideas with you that I think are perfect for the 4th of July!

I’m longing for a vacation. Badly. I know I’m super privileged that the worst part about COVID for me has been the fact that I had to cancel several trips. I’ve chosen not to travel (other than a road trip to San Diego a couple weeks ago) because public health demands it. The best thing I can do to do my part is to stay home, social distance, and severely limit travel.

There are certain dresses that are so good you have to buy two. I literally got this white floral dress in two colors, including navy floral because it’s so good. Its the perfect summer dress, and priced right, so I got two. When I first saw this white floral off the shoulder dress, I especially fell for the cutout lace detail at the waistline. Next, I noticed the price. This dress is under $20 dollars!

As I dug through the archives, I was shocked to find I haven’t posted about a denim jacket since 2015 when I came back from Italy! It’s shocking to me, because in my wardrobe, denim jackets are a staple. Right before quarantine started, I found this tie dye denim jacket, and I’m so glad I have it in my jacket collection.

When I saw this colorblock high low dress, I was fairly confident it wouldn’t look that cute on me. But, I had to try it anyway, because I really loved the ruffle shoulders, high-low hem detail, and the interesting color choices in the colorblock. Since I ordered it online, I didn’t feel that much pressure about whether it would work for me. I order things online all the time, and I return probably 90% of the items.

One of my favorite styles of dresses are midi dresses. I personally find the length very flattering and sexy. I often talk about how less can be more. There is no need to show your entire body off to be sexy. You can be sexy by dressing more subtly. That’s why I love this polka dot midi dress so much. I think it’s super sexy, but also very covered.

One of my favorite fall jackets is a denim jacket. This year, my new favorite is this cropped black denim jacket. I love denim jackets for fall because they are hefty enough to withstand the cooler evenings. In Los Angeles, the days can be really hot (we’ve had 80+ the last week), but nights can feel chilly, especially by the beach.

How do you dress up for the holidays? I tend to wear festive dresses most of the time, but I prefer ones that are also comfortable. This long sleeve midi dress is perfect to wear during the holidays because it is stretchy and warm, but also super comfortable. If you’re looking for red midi dresses, I’m sharing some of my very favorites, all under $50.

Although I’m still working from home this winter, I couldn’t pass up this gorgeous pearl embellished coat. I found it during the major winter sales at Shein for only $31! The coat is such nice quality and looks so much more expensive than it is. I’m such a fan of the pearl embellishments. Ironically, the dress I’m wearing underneath the coat is actually a two-piece dress set that has a pearl embellished sweater that you wear over the sweater dress.

I am obsessed with matching sweater and skirt sets. It’s one of my very favorite styles to wear because it is so comfortable yet really put together. Since I’m working at home, comfort is key. Yet, I also can’t live in sweats because I do participate in a lot of zoom calls (with the camera on;)). I’ve been obsessed with sweater dresses for a while because they are form-fitting, warm, stylish, AND comfortable.

A fun fashion trend that emerged in the fall and is still going strong is the two-toned clothing, or often called spliced. I think it’s a super fun trend because it’s so unexpected. Although I do think it will stick around this spring and summer, this is one of those trends that will be fleeting, I think.

As a curvy girl, one fashion trend I always avoid is the babydoll dress. They generally just don’t look very good on my figure because they lack shape. Since I have wide hips. babydoll dresses tend to look like a big tent on me. I need dresses that define my waistline, which is why I usually opt for a-line or wrap dresses.

I’ve told you that sweater dresses are definitely my go-to right now. I love sweater dresses because they are so comfortable but look put-together without even trying. You don’t have to iron them and they are really low-maintenance. I wear sweater dresses for work and on the weekends. I thought it might be helpful to show you just how versatile sweater dresses are, so I decided to show you how to style sweater dresses in two ways.

Sometimes I stumble on a trend that I didn’t even realize was a trend. That’s what happened last week when I got this new red animal print dress. I chose it because I liked the simple t-shirt style shape with the tie at the waist. But once I started searching for comparable red animal print dresses, I realized they are everywhere! There are high-end ones, like this Saint Laurent, and totally affordable ones, like mine.

I have a lot of Shein black dresses I love. But, when I saw this sheer top black dress I knew I needed to add that to my wardrobe. It has such a cute 50s style with the little shirt collar. It is a fit and flare shape, which is really flattering on most body types. I love that the top is sheer because it creates a lot more visual interest than a regular old black dress.

I recently found this Shein spring floral dress for only $16 and I immediately searched for the same dress in more prints. I’m one of those people who buys multiples of the same item if I love it. Unfortunately, this is the only version of this dress. But, thankfully, there are tons of other affordable Shein floral dresses for spring.

Do you dress up for any holidays? I love to get new dresses for holidays because it’s just another fun way to express myself and immerse myself in that holiday. For all the patriotic holidays – including memorial day, labor day, and the 4th of July, I love to wear red and white. I won’t wear a full-on American flag, but I already love red, so it’s a fun way to nod to our colors without being over the top.

There are certain looks that feel timeless, iconic even. For me, that’s any combination of black and white. When I saw this black and white striped dress I knew I had to order it. I can still remember my absolute favorite look to go out when I was in college. It was this black v-neck chevron black and white top.

Los Angeles is in bloom! I love jacaranda season, as I call it. These purple flowering trees are my absolute favorite. Ironically, my very first blog post (8 years ago!) was about my love of the jacaranda trees back when we lived in Irvine. The other day I was at the park with my kids and I saw this gorgeous tree in bloom so I planned an outfit specifically around a shoot with this tree.

Every summer, I buy a new white dress. When we shot this look, Jade asked me, “haven’t we shot that before?” It was a fair question since this one looks very similar. But I love this white ruffle hem dress too because of the all-over eyelet material. Plus, the fit is very flattering and comfortable.

It’s been so hot in LA, it’s time to break out this cute light blue cami dress. Can you believe this is under $20?! I love all of the cute details, including the faux wrap style and the fun see-through cutouts at the waist. Also, I love that the straps are adjustable which really helps to create a more lifted look.

I recently got this adorable romper shorts set from my friends at Saint and Sophia. I’m so in love with this cute little romper because it appears it’s a dress, but underneath there are hidden shorts! I also love the adorable star and constellation print. If you’re wondering how to wear your romper shorts this fall, here are three ideas.

It’s been a long time since I had an excuse to wear a nicer dress. To be honest, reentering the world in dressier clothes has felt a bit odd. I am so used to rocking my sweats, it’s been quite the transition. That’s why I adore this black slit sleeve dress because it’s made of cotton and completely stretchy! It’s so comfortable and so easy to wear, while still looking very put together, maybe even dressy.

For my day job as a university administrator, I used to dress in professional clothes every day. Blazers were a wardrobe staple for me. I recently purged a lot of the items in my closet. I realized I don’t have much workwear left that I actually like. Given how long its been since I wore most of the items (I’ve been working from home since 2018), I figured it was time for a refresher.

It’s felt like summer in LA the last two weeks, but we are going back to cooler temperatures this week and I’m thankful. I can’t lie, I do love winter coat weather, but only a little bit of it. I love that I can throw on a cute coat, like this long teddy coat on cooler nights. I’ve added quite a few winter coats this year because I’ve found so many affordable ones that are also super stylish.

I recently got a new Shein haul (gifted). It was so funny when my package arrived because I think 5 of the 8 pieces I picked were black and white. There is something so classic about the color combination that you can’t go wrong. Plus, it is always in style. When I saw this belted cardigan, I actually wasn’t planning to wear it as a dress.

Do your kids and family like sloppy joes? I realized, recently, that my kids had never had sloppy joes! The thing is, I don’t really like traditional sloppy joes. For me, they are too sweet and I don’t like ketchup. I know, I’m weird. I don’t like a lot of condiments. But sloppy joes are a family staple, so I decided to create a healthy sloppy joe recipe without ketchup in it and I’m so glad I did.