Summer Sundays

Let's go out and photograph some pretty flowers.

Or take a walk along a lake and pretend you are at the beach.

Or gaze out the window at the ever changing skies.

Happy Sunday!

Splurge vs. Save

I'd been looking for an abstract print/painterly top for some time and came upon these two tops from two of my go-to stores.
Anthropologie: Netted Swing Top, $78.00, made of nylon mesh
Forever 21: Boxy Abstract Print Tee, $16.00, made of linen

Of course you already know which one I chose. In addition to the price, the one from Forever 21 was made of natural fibers. And that was the selling point for me, the better fabric.

A time for shorts

When it's 95 degrees at night, you know summer is here however unofficially. Let's switch to our summer uniform of white shorts. Nothing could be better!

Mixing white and pink reminds me of strawberry-vanilla icecream which is the best thing for a hot summer night too!

Warmer colors

It took real effort to concentrate on red-tone colors and not to reach for blues by default. I might have gone a little overboard with all the reds and rusts I piled up... ah well, you win some, you lose some!

Sky blue

With our constantly blue skies and sunshine, is it a surprise I keep reaching for light blue pieces? Not really! To tell you the truth, I'm kinda bored with navy and blue but have no incentive to switch to another color. Help!

Casual tuxedo

A mix of casual and formal for a relaxed dinning. It's always black and white to the rescue when I don't feel like thinking to much about my outfit.

Last minute

This outfit went through a quick last minute change. I was wearing my chambray maxi skirt but literary right before getting into my car, noticed a grease stain on it. So running into the closet and grabbing the first thing that was high-waisted and resembled the maxi skirt was the only solution.

Floral bomber jacket

Let's see, this jacket has a few blue/navy flowers in its pattern, although a bit hard to see. Good enough for me! I'm gonna match it with my wide leg jeans...
...and on that faulty reasoning this outfit was built!

Soft Suiting

I love the lattice work on this old top. So I decided to make the whole outfit based on that. Kind of crazy specially matching a soft blazer with the jogger pants. I usually try to balance the elements of my outfit but this time I gave myself a free pass!

White attitude

The white jeans have a different feel from other white pants, a bit tougher maybe. To keep with that edgy spirit I paired them with a moto jacket. It still has some attitude even if it's made of eyelet!

Toting around

These days I usually carry a small purse or a satchel bag since I don't have to haul my laptop everywhere I go. As a result I've sorely missed my tote bags. A walk around the lake was an excuse to carry my darling brown tote. Going for a casual picnic-y look:

Slouchy at midnight

Has it happen to you, going grocery shopping at 11:30 PM? It says a lot about my life's present domestic state since under normal conditions I go to supermarket before noon. Yeah, my life is upside-down right now. Well, this outfit here is my equivalent of sweats and a tee (or the SoCal's uniform of yoga pants and a tank top):
 

Precious moments

These days, our weekly ritual of spending a weekend afternoon in a coffee shop has become more cherished. Escaping the noise and chaos of our house and remodeling work for an hour of peace and quite is essential to the health of my mind. If the hour includes a peach-chamomile tea and a chocolate croissant so much the better!

Day to day

Appreciating a special occasion or event is easy and somehow expected. Finding the beauty in everyday life and common moments is the real challenge. It is also what help us to be more mindful and more present in the moment.

In the mood for white

Yes, apparently this affinity for white is gonna stick around for a while. All I can look at is white tops and dresses, even when I set out to find something else, like a floral print top. This bomber jacket was the closest top (or topper) to my ideal print so I snatched it while still looking for a floral blouse or top (or at least trying to look, while browsing white tops!).

 

Have you seen the movie "In the mood for love"? Isn't the costumes amazing?

White strawberry

I so wanted to go head to toe in pink but those cuffs on my sleeves were my downfall. As soon as I decided to match the white pants with them, it got out of hand and  I started to pile up on white. Not a bad look all things considered!

Blushing print

The easiest way to wear a print? Taking a color from the pattern and picking everything else in that color. It helps if the color is something nice and soft like blush.

Luxe leisure

Some people like their chinos classic and baggy, I like mine slim fitting but perfectly broken in and softened. For me the comfort of chino pants comes from the softness of fabric. It goes great with a silky leopard print henley top. Leisure-wear meets chic, my kind of outfit!

Just perfect

This is as close as I can get to my ideal outfit: a soft blazer, a white top with special details, a great fitting pair of jeans, ladylike bag, unique gold jewelry and comfortable shoes. A perfect outfit for a perfectly beautiful spring day.

Such a sunny day

Today, go for a picnic in the park, linger over a lengthy brunch, watch an amazing movie and give Mom a big bouquet of flowers.

Happy Mother's Day!

Blush and coral

My trick for getting ready in five minutes is going head to toe in one color. I would relay on texture variation to keep the look interesting.

Unlikely combo

Some clothing combinations might not seem like a cohesive outfit in theory and on the hanger but when you put them on, they look good. That was the case with this outfit...or I convinced myself that it looks good. Whichever the case, it was good enough for a quick run to the library!

Simplicity

These days I'm all for simple and comfortable outfits. This one is basically a tee and white jeans, only a bit reversed. The tee is the jean (ok, ok, chambray!) and the skinny pants are cotton but not the classic denim. Easy, simple and not cliche!

Should I blame the heat, the chaos around me or my own mental exhaustion  for this shift toward simplicity? and is it a good shift? The jury is still out on both points!

Desert showers

They come out of nowhere, they are quick and won't last more than 20-30 minutes and they help drop the temperature at least 20 degrees. Oh, and one more thing: they make life in Arizona's desert interesting and stop us from constantly complaining about the heat. (OK, technically that was two!!!)

Rusty reds

For a late evening grocery run, I considered tired old jeans and navy tee but decided against them. This outfit was as comfortable but slightly chicer! Good thing since we met my husband's friends at the store.

I switched the silk bow of the shirt with a rust and yellow floral scarf.

Tile-picking

What do you wear to visit tile warehouses and construction material stores? Since I am playing at being the interior designer, I wanted to look chic without sacrificing comfort. Also it was a hot day. So an unusual top which is thin and baggy and wide leg linen pants, hair in a ponytail, sunglasses on. So very glamorous, our lives these days!

What I like these days:

-Floral tops: I noticed a distinct lack of floral tops in my wardrobe.  Such a negligence has to be remedied ASAP. I want something with a light background in cotton, silk or rayon. That's it, my only contingency.

-Round cross body bags: OK, I'm not sure I have any use for these bags since they usually are only  4-5 inches in diameter . But in a cute pattern they add an element of fancy and fun to a simple outfit. For now, I admire them from afar.

-A vacation: somewhere really peaceful and quite, with good food, a serene oasis and long walks. Somewhere in the forest, mountains or a beach, doesn't really matter as long as it's quite.

Warm nights

When the temperature is above 90 at night, you know blistering days are not that far ahead. On a positive note, light summer pieces can come out and play.  More than any thing else in this outfit, I loved that little perforated clutch!

The right dress

The temperature will go above 100 in a day or two and for all practical purposes it will be summer in Arizona. I decided to welcome the high heat with a cool dress. Don't let the picture fool you, this darling dress is made of the softest chambray and is as light as air. If I was going to choose only one dress to live the rest of my life in, that would be this one!