Garden Party

We used to be heavily involved in multiple charities back in Texas and hadn't really found any opportunities to be involved here in the Bay Area since moving last year.  One of the ladies I meet in my running group is involved with the local CASA Auxiliary and she invited us to attend a garden party to raise funds for disadvantaged youth in our area. Not only was it a great afternoon in a swanky home in the Hillsborough Hills, but it felt good to give back and win some cool silent auction items in the process.  We won a couple of bottles of wine and I lost on a big package I was bidding on that included airfare and hotel stay in Tahoe, but we had a really great time and it was fun getting to know some of the women involved.  I wore this cute paisley dress that I bought for our anniversary dinner and paired it with a pair of wedge espadrilles to avoid having my heels sink into the grass.  I also got to show off my new bracelet that my husband gave me for our anniversary earlier this month.  It is from Blue Nile and I had it on my wishlist for a while because it is several carats of Blue Topaz stones, my birthstones.

I Am Wearing:

Dress: J. Crew

Earrings: Diamond Hoops (Splurge | Steal)
Blue Topaz Bracelet: Blue Nile (similar)
Silver Bracelet: Tiffany & Co.

Apple Watch

Clutch: YSL (similar)
Wedges: J. Crew

Trench: Banana Republic (cute fur collar option)
Heels: Manolo Blahnik

Flower Power

We are just DAYS away from Pumpkin Spice Lattes and the annual September 1 downloading of my favorite Christmas playlist. The San Fran Bay Area has NOT received the memo.  As temperatures have warmed up, we are all shedding our layers, but I will never give up my maxi dresses.  This is an old favorite from LOFT and I recently paired it with my metallic flats from J. Crew and my favorite pink Balenciaga bag.  My son said he loves this dress because it makes him think I'm happy and he asked me to wear it for his birthday in a few weeks. I hope it is still warm then so I can make him happy.  Any ideas for what to give a 16 year old that isn't a car?

I Am Wearing:

Dress: LOFT (option)
Earrings: Costume gift from my grandmother (Splurge | Steal)
Necklace: Express (similar)

Tiffany & Co Bracelet

Balenciaga Classic First Motorcycle Bag

Flats: J. Crew

Red Lipstick, Black Mascara

Now that school is back in session, so are the routine doctor visits, the after-school activities, and the rushed meal preps for our dinners. Some days, I am lucky to apply moisturizer on my face. On the days that I have to be seen in public, I try to wear some makeup. In this case, I got by with the bare minimum of red lipstick and two coats of black mascara. It inspired me to wear a simple color palette of red and black to go out and about after work and run my son's errands.

I Am Wearing:

Top: Nine West (Splurge | Steal)
Earrings: Blue Nile
Monogram Necklace: c/o Jane Basch Jewelry

Purse: Rebecca Minkoff (gorgeous option)
Denim: JBrand (current cropped style on sale!)
Wedges: Diane von Furstenberg (current)

Running or Lounging Shorts?

As you know, I have NEVER met a blue and white pair of J. Crew shorts I could pass up.  When I saw these at the store recently, I honestly could not figure out if they were just cute casual shorts, or if they were closer to pajama/lounging shorts.  Then I wore them out to pick up prescriptions and dry cleaning and meet a friend for lunch. She asked me if I was wearing running shorts and I guess it hadn't occurred to me that the curved seams did make them look like running shorts. Looking at their website, I can't believe I missed that they were designed with vintage athletic apparel in mind. Even if I can't quite label them, I do know that they are so comfortable with the drawstring waistband and tailored pockets all around.  These are comfy whether I am lounging on the couch or running around town.

I Am Wearing:

Top: Zara (cute option)
Striped Bralette: Abound (similar)
Diamond Hoop Earrings (Splurge | Steal)
Solitaire Necklace: BaubleBar (option)
Shorts: J. Crew

Denim Purse (adorable tote option under $10!)
Sandals: Jimmy Choo (current)

I Heart Summer

I am trying to make summer last as long as possible. I know everyone is ready for fall and all the retailers are already trying to make me buy sweaters and coats, but I am holding on to summer as long as I can.  Nothing screams summer quite like shorts and espadrilles, so those are what I am still reaching for.  I have found several smaller, somewhat local shops near my home and I've been happy to find some cute clothes at these.  This silk blend top is one of them. I love the silhouette although I admit that it didn't quite photograph as well as I thought it would.  I was very comfortable wearing this to take our son to the doctor and then for a late lunch/early dinner yesterday. How cute are these heart sunglasses?!?! I love them.

I Am Wearing:

Top: Margaret O'Leary

Sunglasses: Nordstrom (current)
Earrings: Diamond Hoops (Splurge | Steal)
Shorts: Gap (cute option under $15!)
Purse: Jason Wu x Target (option)
Espadrilles: c/o Soludos (limited sizes)

Summer Daze

The one thing that I LOVE about living in the Bay Area is that it never really gets hot. I can't tell you how quickly we acclimated to the beautiful summers here that contrast with the sweltering temperatures in Texas.  It always makes me chuckle when I hear locals complaining about the heat here in the middle of August.  I do like my shorts and minis though and it makes me happy to be able to wear them nearly year round. I wore this for a last summer dinner with our son before he heads to school tomorrow. I am really hoping for an easy start to school this year now that I am working part time and things are really picking up at my husband's work. In the meantime, I wore this easy outfit to end our summer days.

I Am Wearing:

Linen Top: J. Crew

Earrings: Diamond Hoops (Splurge | Steal)
Bracelet: Tiffany & Co.

Skirt: Express (current)

Sunglasses: Ray-Ban
Sandals: J. Crew on sale!

Casual Exhibit

My husband was out of town most of this past week. It was very disappointing to say the least because our oldest son only had 10 days to visit this summer and his business trip coincided to keep him away for a week of it.  In his absence, I tried to find cool things for me and the boys to do either before or after work.  A couple of days ago, that search took us to the Cantor Arts Center at Stanford. Their exhibits are free to the public and it was a good way to spend a warm afternoon inside their cool space.  Their Rodin exhibit was very detailed, but we also enjoyed their current exhibit on the waterways of California and both the African Art Exhibit and their abstract and photography galleries.

I Am Wearing:

Top: Zara (cute option)
Cardigan: Trina Turk (similar)
Pearl Studs: Gift from my grandmother (Splurge | Steal)
Denim: JBrand (sateen option)
Handbag: Sam Edelman (similar)
Flats: J. Crew recent sale (current)

Napa Short

One of the things I love about living in the Bay is that Napa and Sonoma are close enough for fast, spur of the moment, getaways.  This past weekend was such a trip. We decided at the last minute to catch up to friends who were in Napa for the weekend because my husband will be overseas all week.  We caught up to our friends, had lunch in Calistoga, and visited a couple of vineyards in Rutherford before driving home and getting my husband off to the airport for his work travel. Have I mentioned how epic the JCrew sale was a couple of weeks ago? I may have gone overboard because I am still getting packages, but the prices (especially on tops and shoes!) were nuts.  This one of the new tops I got and I am mostly excited that I am a full size smaller than I was a few months ago. Looking at these photos really motivated me to go out for a run even though I didn't feel like it.

I Am Wearing:

Top: J. Crew on sale!

Earrings: c/o Amorium Jewelry

Shorts: Mossimo for Target (similar)
Bracelet: Tiffany & Co

Clutch: Tory Burch

Shoes: J. Crew on sale!

SoMa Family Brunch

My husband and I drove into San Francisco early yesterday to meet one of his cousins for brunch.  I knew from all other recent trips into the city that the fog has been relentless and it does not clear before the late afternoon.  I wrapped up in my trusty Zara knit cardigan and was cozy the entire time we were there. We initially tried to have brunch at Vitrine at the St. Regis Hotel because I had taken my friends there earlier this summer and we'd had a great time, but the hotel has since changed their hours and they had just closed breakfast when we arrived. Instead, we walked up the street to The Pink Elephant Alibi and enjoyed their Build Your Own Mimosa Bar and tasty brunch food. And I STILL wasn't able to visit the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art.

I Am Wearing:

Top: Lapis (current)
Cardigan: Zara Knit (Splurge | Steal)
Earrings: Blue Nile

Necklace: c/o Dogeared Jewelry

Denim: Pilcro and The Letterpress

Flats: J Crew

Romp Around

I have never really been a big fan of rompers and jumpsuits. Not for the reason everyone thinks, that you have to get completely undressed wherever you are just to use the bathroom.  While valid, I've never been able to wear rompers because most don't fit me right.  While I could easily hem extra length, when a garment is made for normal height people, the proportions are always off on me.  While visiting earlier this summer, one of my friends tossed this one at me and said it didn't fit her and I could have it. As you can see I was skeptical for several weeks before I tried it on and realized it was really cute!  This particular one had really great proportions for us shorter girls and I've worn it out several times now.  I wore this to brunch with my husband this week as he prepares for a long business trip.

I Am Wearing:

Romper: ASTR The Label (current)
Earrings: J. Crew (current sale)
Apple Watch

Purse: Rebecca Minkoff (current)
Shoes: Diane von Furstenberg (gold in limited sizes)

Foggy Marina Day

We had to go into the city before our race this weekend to pick up our race packets.  Since my husband had been out of town for a few days last week, we made a day of our trip out there and grabbed bite and walked along the marina. As we've learned over the last year, summer is actually the WORST time to get great photos of the golden gate bridge. It tends to stay fogged in all day long.  I did get a couple of sideways glances from several runners, but I swear these are my comfortable booties! And our race went very well, too. Even though we were only doing a 5K, I ran a personal best time of just under 37 minutes and most of our friends who ran the half and full marathon also posted personal best times.

I Am Wearing:

Tunic: Tory Burch (current)
Camisole: J. Crew - on sale!

Earrings: Diamond Hoops (Splurge | Steal)
Solitaire Necklace: Michael Kors (current)
Denim: J. Crew Toothpick - on sale!

Clutch: Tory Burch

Boots: Stuart Weitzman (velvet update)