Escape to Wine Country

Dress - JCrew, similar style here / Sandals - Target / Purse - Claire Vivier / Bracelet - JCrew / Earrings - Charming Charlie / Sunnies - Tory Burch 

For our first anniversary, my husband and I headed over to Napa. One of the best parts about living in California is  being able to go for a quick weekend escape. Wine country is perfect as you can have a fulfilling vacation in 36 hours. We created on the fly the perfect agenda for a trip to Napa, and if you are going to another region, you can plan out your own perfect weekend similar to ours. 

Start your day with a first stop at a winery and then head over to a deli to pick up the essentials for a picnic in the wine country - a baguette, a fine piece of cheese, meats and sparking soda to add a little fizz. We stopped at V. Sattui not for the wine, but instead to pick up our lunch and enjoy their beautiful picnic area. This spot is right between many of the wineries along the 29 Highway. Another great stop to pick up lunch? Dean and DeLuca across the road from V. Sattui.

Pick out three to four spots to visit while in Napa or the wine country. My husband and I have our favorite spots and labels, so we planned our day around visiting these wineries. Not only did we go for taste, we also put down a couple of spots on our list with a killer view. One of our picks for Napa is the Franciscan Estate Winery because of their amazing white wines (request the breakfast wine if you visit) and for the relaxing patio and fountains. Also on the list is Rombauer right up the hill in St. Helena. This winery is tucked away and has an amazing view and an amazing Chardonnay!

Complete your fabulous day with sparkling wine. My pick? Domaine Chandon and enjoy one of their many sparkling wines before heading off to dinner. 

Dress - Rebecca Taylor  / Shoes - Louboutins / Bracelet - JCrew

Napa isn't just known for it's wines, it is also known for their stellar restaurants. Start the evening right by getting dressed up and trying out a spot for dinner with great food and drinks. Angele in Napa is a delicious French restaurant with a great patio view of the river. This restaurant definitely makes my top five favorites and even has great cocktails to add to the mix.

Dress - old, similar style here  / Hat - Gap  / Sandals - Havaianas

The next day is meant for relaxing! Since it was our first anniversary we decided to celebrate with a massage. Plan your day around relaxing by the hotel pool, indulging in brunch or going to more scenic spots in area. We decided to do it all on Sunday and found ourselves finishing up the day at Domaine Carneros as it is a stunning property that serves wine and cheese plates on the patio. 

Happy Planning!

Nordstrom Anniversary Sale

Nordstrom's Anniversary Sale started this weekend and if you haven't taken a look at their amazing fall deals, make sure to head over to Nordstrom.com to take a look at all of the stellar pieces and prices. This is their BIG sale and a great opportunity to expand your wardrobe.

My favorite part of this sale every year is scoring some of the higher priced items, for a lot less. It is the perfect sale to score a nice pair of boots, denim and designer labels. This year I fell in love with a Rebecca Taylor dress and DVF wrap. I love the animal prints for fall and how designers are interpreting and incorporating this trend into the fall lines. Another piece that is perfect to transition into fall is this leather shell. It's perfect to pair with denim or a nice skirt for work. Each of these pieces I've selected can be worn in many different ways and can be worn from summer into fall.

Rebecca Taylor Intarsia A-Line Dress

Halogen Leather Front Top

Marc by Marc Jacobs Henry Watch

Kate Spade Hancock Park-Ginnie Leather Crossbody Bag

Kendra Scott Danielle Oval Statement Earrings

Enzo Angiolini Caswell Pump

DVF New Jeanne 2 Silk Jersey Wrap Dress

Ten Sixty Sherman Comme Ci Comme Ca Tee

Maximize Your Summer

Dress - H&M; Sandals - Steve Madden, similar style here; Purse - Louis Vuitton; Sunnies - Tory Burch; Jewelry - JCrew and Madewell

One of my favorite things to wear during the summer is the easygoing maxi dress! Maxi dresses are so simple and can be easily dressed up and down by just changing out the accessories. I am very much a high-low dresser and it is very easy to find a stunning maxi dress at a reasonable price. The other day I headed over to H&M in search of a maxi dress for the summer and fell in love with this colorful dress. I spiced it up by adding some sparkle with my jewelry and added a small wedge to give my 5'3" frame a little lift.

Simply Summer

Dress - Gap, Heels - Zara, Hat - Gap, Necklace - Nadri, Bracelet - House of Harlow, Purse - Prada

For Memorial Day, my mom and I ran over to Gap to score with their sales. I found this basic black dress, which is something I have been on the hunt for! I also found a hat to match and created a simple summer outfit that I can wear out and about. Even better, this dress can be transformed into a perfect work wardrobe pieced with a cardigan to help fight the battle between the hot heat outside and the chilly AC inside. The shoes add a little something extra, along with the hat, which is always key with a basic black dress. 

Walk The Line

Shirt - TWP (on sale at Nordies!), Jeans - JCrew, Shoes - Gucci, Belt - Banana Republic, Bracelet - JCrew, Necklace - JCrew, Sunnies - Tory Burch

It has been quite a while, but I am happy to begin putting back the focus on my blog. Blogging is such a rewarding and creative experience; however it can be tough when everything else in life is going full speed! I've been working on finding ways to make this blog even better and I'm excited to continue on this journey!

Coming back to the blog I decided to show an outfit that represents more of the rebellious side of me and my closet. I picked this top up at Nordstrom's new Savvy section, which has been recently revamped. The new Savvy is fun, trendy and a bit edgy and I love it! The prices are definitely more reasonable, which is great! I paired this open back top with my new distressed jeans, studded belt and my favorite suede pumps. Sometimes I like to switch up my look from my usual preppy and feminine style. 

This week is full of sales - JCrew is having a 20% off sale, Victoria's Secret started their swim suit sale and Nordstorm starts their annual half yearly sale today! Happy shopping!

Spring Fling

The Spring weather is finally beginning to emerge and I am stoked! This winter I struggled with the cold weather of Sacramento and with dressing cute while staying warm. Needless to say I am over boots and ready for florals, bright colors and sandals! Since it's March, I've decided that it is ok to wear my flower pants and a pink top. I've noticed that floral is back in trend, which is a good thing since I splurged on these floral pants last Spring. 

Top - JCrew / Pants - Citizens of Humanity, similar style here / Shoes - Sachelle / Sunnies - Tory Burch

What are you anxious to wear this spring?

Cocktail Hour

 

Ever since bar carts exploded on Pinterest, I've been dying to incorporate this trend into my home. Unfortunately there are limitations with apartment living and I've found that adding another piece of furniture to the living room/kitchen area would just be too much. Still wanting to add a little bit of fun with the concept, I decided to do a bar tray instead. Because my kitchen is a bit tight, I went with a smaller tray from West Elm and placed on top of our china cabinet. The best part of the bar tray? I can keep it fresh by picking up new accessories and rearranging the items.

Highball Glasses - Crate & Barrel / Tray - West Elm / Moose Shot Glasses - ZGallerie / Shaker - Pottery Barn / Double Shot - BevMo

Before starting your bar cart or tray, go onto Pinterest to see what kind of look you want to achieve. I've taught myself a lot on home decor just by studying my favorite home pins!

Start by selecting a tray that fits your style and is the right size for your furniture. Then have some fun! The best part about the bar tray is that you can find unique accessories to jazz it up. I made a geode bottle stopper to spice it up, but even just a geode mixed in with the accessories can help add a pop of color.

Metal Straws - Brook Farm General Store/ Shaker - Crate & Barrel / Bottle Stopper - Kate Spade / Bottle Opener - Furbish / Glasses - ZGallerie / Glass Bottle - West Elm / Geode - Amazon / Tray - Furbish

Select liqueurs that are not only visually pleasing, but are also drinks that you enjoying consuming. For my bar cart I selected a nice bottle of tequila, Tanqueray, and my faithful Blueberry Stoli as these are three bottles that we will often drink and share with friends. 

Have fun!