Bouncy Blowout

Having thick, long hair is a blessing and a curse. It takes me close to an hour sometimes to properly blow dry my hair to get a little bounce and volume. But once I do it's completely worth it since it lasts a few days. And the best compliment to a perfect blowout? A bold and smoky eye. Lately I've been relying on three essentials for creating the sultry look—Revlon Luxurious Color™ Smoky Crayon, Revlon PhotoReady 3D Volume™ Mascara and Revlon® Just Bitten Kissable™ Balm Stain. I love the creamy consistency of the crayon and, I must say, the mascara is my favorite drugstore find—the brush is hands down the best. Click here for more Revlon beauty inspiration. 

Orange, White and Blue

Frank & Eileen shirt, J.Crew scarf, Garrett Leight sunglasses, Gap jeans, Jennifer Fisher Bone Cuff, Tote from Serafina, Target boots (similar). 

Since picking up this pair of Garrett Leight sunnies I've been craving looks with a classic vintage flare. Head scarves, high waist bikinis and blouses as cover-ups are a few ways I've been channeling that old school beach style, which I plan on pulling out on the 4th of July. Besides partaking in lot's of patriotic fun, I plan on wearing this bright orange scarf in place of my 'something red'. For some vintage bikini inspo, check out these old shots of my grandma, the bikini queen herself. 

Hot Finds

The beau and I are headed to a wedding this weekend and I've been on the hunt for a hot pink dress for the occasion. This will mark the first of many we're going to this summer and I can't wait to dive into some wedding cake, throw some elbows for the bouquet (totally kidding, kind of) and toast the bride and groom. Here are some other hot finds I came across. 

Clockwise from top left:

Topshop Fluro Dip Hem Dress

Rebecca Minkoff Ikat Mini Minaudiere

Kain Silk Tank

Topshop Ombre Skater Skirt

Eberjey Bralette

I Am Love Perfume

Ariel Gordon Love Knot Bracelet

Dezso by Sara Beltran Pouch
Topshop Blush in Prime Time

Ice Cream Sandwiches

Two of my favorite choices on the dessert menu are typically ice cream and cookies. Naturally any variation of the two combined is a slam dunk in my opinion. I came across this quick and easy recipe in one of my favorite Donna Hay cook books and had to give it a whirl. Instead of thin wafers I chose to use thick biscuit cookies. Let's just say it was the perfect afternoon treat to have outside in the sun. 

Coconut and Lime Ice Cream Sandwiches:

Roll vanilla bean ice cream (I used my favorite from McConnell's) in toasted coconut shavings, lime zest and sandwich between two wafers or cookies. Done and done. Step it up a notch with homemade ice cream and cookies.

Sunny Plaid

Ace & Jig dress c/o, Garrett Leight Sunglasses, J.Crew hat, UGG wedges c/0, Bag from Serafina in Pasadena (similar here), Ariel Gordon stacked rings. 

Who would have thought a plaid print would be so perfect for summer. But when you take every watery blue shade and a hit of tangerine orange, how can you not fall in love a little? This mini dress from Ace & Jig was the answer to my dire need for something colorful and easy for the hot days ahead. And the best part? It can easily transition from day to night. See how I wore it recently for a day trip to Ojai.  

Once the sun went down I wore it as a top with Helmut Lang jeans, short boots (similar) and a favorite cashmere wrap/scarf. 

Summer Hit List

BCBGeneration top

When I think about the perfect Summer day, it goes something like this: wake up. bikini on. coffee on the patio in the sun. to-do's around the house (in my bikini). make plans with friends for the day. pack up for a day at the beach. swimming. reading. eating. lounging. drive home. cat nap. fire up the bbq. invite friends over. open a bottle of wine. eat. laugh. dessert. watch a movie in bed. sleep. Aside from lots of days like this... here's what's on my Summer hit list. What's on yours?

Summer Hit List:

Have a bon fire.

Make homemade ice cream.

Take a spontaneous trip. 

Go wine tasting.

Camp or glamp.

Wear lot's of white.

Ride my bike. 

Pick flowers.

Have a picnic.

Make lemonade. 

See a shooting star.

Have a party.

images by Will Adler

Field Notes

Forever 21 Top, Doma Leather Jacket (similar), Celine Bag, Garrett Leight Sunglasses, Helmut Lang Jeans, Steve Madden Boots, Jennifer Fisher Bone Cuff, Ariel Gordon Rings. 

Nothing makes me happier than finding loose and flowey tops with that classic Chloe look. A friend passed on a tip about this Forever 21 top and I scooped up two of them. I can already tell they're going to be well played wardrobe favorites since a.) they're comfortable and b.) the colors are perfectly neutral (navy and taupe).

Office Space

Rustic mixed with modern elegance. 

Having a creative work space in my home is something that is high on my could i have that list. The beau and I currently have both of our desks in the guest room but have yet to style them up. And since it's a smaller space that also needs to function in two ways we've been looking for inspiration to help us organize and design the room. Here are some elements we're currently loving. 

A dual desk and shelves with leaning frames.

A collage wall of inspiration.

A lucite desk.

Strung images and quotes.

Storing magazines, books and shoes with shelves and a hanging rod.

Oriental rugs, statement lighting fixtures and a cluster of frames. 

images via rue magazine and pinterest.

Pool + Mint

Sweltering Summer days make me desperately crave two things: lemonade and icy color tones. After an extra hot weekend I found myself in the mood for water-like blues, light layers, subtle scents and teeny bikinis. Here are a few things I wouldn't mind staying cool with this Summer. 

Clockwise from top left: 
Karla Colletto Bikini
Madewell Bamboula Beach Bag
Topshop Jeans
Tom Ford Neroli Portofino Body Splash
Topshop Heels
Eberjey Bralette
Carine Gilson Silk-Chiffon Wrap
Clu Color-Block Jersey Top

City Slicker

Raquel Allegra silk dress, Celine Bag, Ariel Gordon Love Knot Ring, Square Edge Ring and Flat Top Ring, Jennifer Fisher Charm Necklace, Ash Suede Dune Bootie (see leather version here).

There are so many reasons why I love living in Santa Barbara but one perk that's high on my list is how close it is to LA. When I need the busier city life I'm a short hour and a half away by car and can stay with a handful of friends or family. Over the weekend the beau and I made the quick trip south to have dinner with my gal pal Jacey (of Damsel and Dior) and her husband at the über cool Soho House. Since it was toasty hot in LA, I brought along this wispy favorite by Raquel Allegra. 

Beachy Waves and Smoky Eyes

Taming your mane during the Summer months can be tricky at times with the heat, salt water and humidity. One of my go-to looks that never seems to fail is beachy waves—check out my how-to here. Wavy locks are the perfect compliment to a glowing tan and can take you from the beach to a cocktail party with a little added make-up. My favorite way to glam up the tousled do is with sultry smoky eyes and a faint lip color. I use Revlon® ColorStay™  Smoky Shadow Stick, Revlon PhotoReady 3D Volume™ Mascara (the best brush I've tried yet!) and Revlon® Just Bitten Kissable™ Balm Stain to get the look. Using a stain is perfect for achieving that natural tint. Click here for more beachy waves + smoky eye tips and tutorials!

I'll be giving away 10 Revlon® ColorStay™ Smoky Shadow Sticks so be sure to like my facebook page here and leave a comment below with your email. I'll be announcing the winners next Friday! 

Bits and Tips

Peonies in vintage glass jars.

Summer notoriously seems to fly by far too quickly. It's the most anticipated season in my book for so many reasons: sunshine, vacation, barbecues, beach days, peonies, bikinis, picnics, bikes rides... and the list goes on. It's hard not to fill up the agenda with fun happenings and parties. These past few weeks have felt like the calm before the storm (a really good storm). So I've been relishing in these early, semi-calm Summer days. 

Letterpress notecards from Bungalow 36.

New Garrett Leight Kinney sunglasses and bracelets from Posh Locket. 

French chocolate I picked up at The Market on Holly in Pasadena—crazy delicious.

 My latest beauty obsession, Cle de Peau concealer—a miracle worker for tired eyes.

Hammered silver votives that cast the prettiest light in the afternoons. 

Shades of White

IRO Jacket (similar), Celine Bag, 3.1 Phillip Lim Blouse, Garrett Leight Sunglasses, Gap Jeans (similar), Vintage Necklace and Bracelet, Low Luv Cuff, Steve Madden Boots

One thing I always look forward to in the Summer months is wearing as many neutrals and whites. Lately I've been throwing them all on at once for an angelic monochromatic look—a possible effort to enhance my early summer tan? Guilty. Regardless, it's the perfect base to keep it simple or introduce subtle pops of color. In this case I couldn't help but wear something that contrasted with my new Celine luggage bag, le sigh. 

Bartender!

One thing the beau and I both decided we needed in our new home was a bar cart. Knowing that we wanted a vintage piece we hit the flea markets to hunt for one. After some negotiating, and indecisiveness on my part we went home with a steel side table from the 1930s. It wasn't until we were organizing our glasses and bottles on it that I realized it was perfect. Here's a peek at one of my favorite new additions to our home. 

One thing I wanted with my bar cart was multi level storage, mission accomplished.

We pulled the drawers out to display our glasses.

 Wine and tools stored on the lower shelf.

 Lemons and a lamp brighten up the area.

 Gold rimmed champagne flutes—another recent vintage find.

An old crate label that my grandfather gave me—too perfect for a bar. 

Check out more bar cart inspiration on a pinterest board I created here.