{Written while a passenger on the way to meet my cousin's 3 day old baby girl!} Is there anything better than that twilight hour? The day is not yet over, the night has not yet begun... It is my favorite part of every day (especially summer days!) Now put me outside in that golden light, with my beautiful friend Vanessa at my side and this gorgeous flowy dress and I call that a perfect night! You can shop this pretty (non maternity) dress here! Hope your week is off to the very best start and thank you so much for stopping by. Sweetly, Michelle
A Floral Fit for Fall (or a Wall)
Hello beauties!! How about this floral print for (in CA, pre) fall? And while we are on the subject of florals, for some reason looking at this dress fuels my wallpaper obsession like nobody's business! I am absolutely dying to wallpaper a few rooms in my house (the hubs? Not so much) but we are currently in that weird phase where we want to make the bump up to a bigger house, but we don't want to leave our amazing neighborhood. My neighborhood Is.The.Best. I am so lucky! My street has a book club, a bible study, children my daughter's age GALORE and at least once a month (and sometimes in the summer, once a week), we have potlucks and BBQs and get togethers. I don't know if this little magic comes along all of the time and I am paranoid that we will move into a new house on some sleepy street, with maybe people we don't have anything in common with, and that wont be great. So until we decide, no wallpaper for me.
ANYWAY.....I love the details on this dress. It has a strip of black lace that trims the sleeves and the bottom that is so feminine and pretty. It is still so warm here that I paired this dress with my fringe sandals. I think I wore them once this summer (story of my life). It's a great combination, especially with my fringed handbag. And then there's this cuff. It is an original design by @vwearcollection by @whatwouldvwear. Pictures do not do it justice. It is heavy and shiny and gorgeous. I wear it with everything-- with an armful of bangle bracelets or just alone. Either way, it's fantastic! Please go and look at her jewelry line-- you will not regret it!
How about the cute train tracks? I love walking around in San Juan Capistrano. There are so many cute picture nooks and crannies (not to mention the charm of the little shops and restaurants in the Los Rios District). For some reason, I am a little bit of a spazz with train track pictures. Did you know that you are not allowed to take pictures while stopped directly on the tracks? I didn't know that (but I betcha some lawyer was involved in this restriction!!) Because I am a total rule follower, I made sure all of my photos were in motion! And that is that, lovely ones. I hope today has been so lovely for you! Thank you so much for stopping by! Sweetly- Michelle
A Storied Life + Back in (Navy) Blue
{Book Review} So, I have a confession to make. You know how I read? A LOT? Well, I have a weird habit of reading the last chapter of a book first. I know. This horrifies most people. I can't help it. I need to know and I need to prepare myself for what's coming. If I don't see a main character referenced in the end? I'm not getting too attached to that person, let me tell you. I think because I am very empathic (my husband will often say " This is a BOOK. It's not REAL") as I am sobbing and hiccupping my way through it, and it just really stays with me, the stories I read. Maybe I do this because real life is not predictable like this. We don't know the ending in real life, and so maybe in this small way, I am able to control it a bit. Who knows. ANYWAY! This book "The Storied LIfe of AJ Fikry" by Gabrielle Zevin ruined me. It is sad, but in a wonderfully sad way. Its the story of a bookstore, on a small island, and of the owner AJ Fikry and his life, the life of his customers and life in general. What I loved the most is that every chapter begins with a little synopsis of a different book, written by AJ. He is sarcastic and witty and I chuckled quite often at his observations. It's a really good read and if you do read it (or have)- let me know what you think. I thought it was wonderful!
{Fashion} Easy office dressing your thing? Then this little dress is for you. Pull it on, add some heels and a great bag and off you go. I love navy and I can't wait to wear the heck out of this wine/oxblood/burgundy (what are we calling this, anyway?) color for Fall. And you notice this cuff? It is handmade by the fabulous and talented @whatwouldvwear as part of her @vwearcollection. Isn't it beautiful? All of her designs are just gorgeous. You have to check it out! What are you up to for this long weekend? I am leaving tonight for Chicago (what a city, right?) to spend the weekend with my in-laws and when I get back...I am going to prepare for NYFW! I am so excited! Can you believe it? Do these people know that they are letting a dorky lawyer in their midst? Apparently not! Yay! Can't wait to share pics with you!! Happy Day you all! Xx Michelle
Dress: Banana Republic
Cuff: whatwouldvwear.com
Heels: Kate Spade
Michelle Hearts Michael
Hi there you! Its Friday! What a week I've had. Like everyone else, my life is cyclical and there are times when I seem to be balanced at work, and I can take a nice lunch, come home at night and unwind, read a book after my daughter goes to sleep (You moms out there know what I mean. Your "you" time starts after your children are in bed!) Lately? Work is crazy busy. I eat lunch at my desk and every night, I have been up until after midnight with my lap top on my lap, working (this really interferes with my ability to pay attention to important things on TV. Like the Real Housewives of New York Reunion. Part 1). The trial I was hurling toward has been continued a little, so I have a small reprieve but I am really looking forward to this weekend and catching up a little on errands (and sleep!)
{The Dress} I have to tell you something so funny about this dress! I bought it at Nordstrom (and like most things I buy, the bags stay in the trunk until I figure out a time to strategically (and furtively) scamper upstairs with them)...and I forgot about it! How sad of a life do I lead that I can buy this cute little number, hide it in my car (who needs another lecture from the hubs, I ask you? No one!) and completely forget about it? It was maybe 3 MONTHS later that I was looking around my trunk and I was like "Hmm. What's in here?" So sad! I love it. Shirt dresses are just a good staple every season, and you can find them with so many updated details. Here, it is the silver military- like accents. This is a perfect transition piece because it has 3/4 length sleeves and is a heavier blend of fabric, which is good for the office. I paired it with these TopShop shoes (similar) that I have from Nordstrom. I love a strappy shoe--T-strap, Mary Janes, some kind of ankle strap- yes yes and yes. They are a great addition to this dress, don't you think?
{The Book}
Even though my book-reading has been seriously infringed upon by this horrible thing we refer to as a JOB, I still find time to read a little bit everyday. I need to. It relaxes me, it lets my mind wander and I feel like I am doing a little something for myself. I finished this book in record time (it's a very easy read) and it's good. Her writing style is breezy and it feels (at least from an American like me) very British. I enjoyed it. It takes a humorous look at a serious event (a murder) that involves one of the most competitive groups of people known to man-- moms! It looks at the silly and shallow things we sometimes do as parents when it involves our 5 year old children. Even though its funny, I thought there was a strong lesson to be learned-- that we (humans) compete against each other, tear each other down and value things that in the whole scheme really don't matter. As a mom with a career outside of the home, it can be difficult for me to go to school functions because I feel a little self conscious around the moms that stay home. I think that however life works for a certain family should be supported (and it's none of my business how someone else lives or raises their family--if you are happy and healthy, good for you!). This book will maybe make you think about how we (women especially) need to make each other feel good and accomplished as much as possible because look around you---we are each other's future. Speaking of the future... I hope you all have amazing things coming your way this weekend! β€οΈπ thank you for stopping by- xx Michelle