Author: thenavyleopard

In the Pink at The Biltmore

Published on by thenavyleopardLeave a comment

It is nearly impossible not to feel “in the pink” in Santa Barbara, especially at The Biltmore, overlooking Butterfly Beach.  The Biltmore was built in 1928 and epitomized Southern California glamour and was a favorite retreat of old Hollywood.  The grounds are just so beautiful and Butterfly Beach is a favorite of ours.  The butterflies actually left soon after the construction and care was put it to the landscaping and trees so that they would return.  We learned about this in the beautiful children’s book “Butterfly Beach” by Polly Caldwell Bookwalter that we purchased in the gift shop for vacation bedtime reading.  We spotted a few butterflies on one of our morning walks. The beach walks were so beautiful that I even managed to win my weekly Fitbit step contest against several competitive New Yorkers.

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J. Crew Margot Top in French Blue Airy Cotton Pique

J. Crew Jane Sunglasses in Pink

J. Crew Cashmere Cardigan in Neon Hibiscus (on sale plus 30% off with code SHOPSALE)

J. Crew Paisley Gemma Flats (25% off with code SHOPSALE)

J. Crew Signet Bag in Deep Wine

J. Crew Coin Purse in Italian Calf Hair

J. Crew Lookout Jeans (25% off with code SHOPSALE)

Happy Shopping!

XO,

JAE

Wild Flamingo in Montecito

Published on by thenavyleopardLeave a comment

Saying goodbye to summer is hard.  Last week we got away for an end of the summer mini-vacation to Santa Barbara and had so much fun.  We stayed in Montecito where my husband and I were engaged and married as I mentioned in Pom-Poms at the Courthouse.  We had a great time with a visit to the Santa Barbara Zoo, beach and pool time, and some great meals.

I decided to add a pop of pink (wild flamingo to be exact according to J. Crew speak) to my navy in this outfit to reflect both my end of summer blues and my excitement for fall. These photos were taken at the Montecito Inn, which was built by Charlie Chaplin in 1928. You can read more about the history here.  The hotel is so charming and I love the archways.

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J. Crew Rhodes Blazer in Wild Flamingo

J. Crew Jane Sunglasses in Pink

J. Crew Signet Bag in Dark Wine

J. Crew Coin Purse in Italian Calf Hair

J. Margot Top in Navy Silk

J. Crew Gemma Leopard Flats (25 % off with code SHOPSALE)

J. Crew Jeans (25% off with code SHOPSALE)

Happy Shopping!

XO,

JAE

 

Mani Friday – Wink Edition

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I was surprised at how much I loved this bright pink when I went for it two weeks ago for Mani Friday – Pink Daisy Edition.  It felt surprisingly neutral, especially with all the J. Crew pink I have been wearing.  This week I decided it was the perfect end of summer color with a blue eyed wink.

The color is “Kiss me, I’m Brazilian” by OPI.  The nail art and manicure are by Olive & June.

Have a great long weekend!

XO,

JAE

Cheers to the long weekend!

Published on by thenavyleopard3 Comments

I am soaking up the last days of summer with family time, beach time, barbecues and yes, I think some bubbles are in order.  This summer was really fun.  My son shares my love of travel and we were great travel partners. We are working on our list for next summer as well as vacations this year.  My husband was able to join us on several trips.

France is definitely on the list.  My husband and I went to Paris two years ago on our first trip (that was more than one night) away from our son.  We had an amazing time.  I wrote about that trip and my inspiration for the blog in It all started in Paris with these shoes….  In the meantime, I am loving these Destination Art T-Shirts from J.Crew.  The Paris one goes so well with pink and my new Pink Jane sunglasses.

I toast to the last week of summer with a bottle of Veuve in the cutest insulated bag. 

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J. Crew “Paris” Destination Art T-Shirt

J. Crew Cashmere Sweater in Neon Hibiscus (on sale!)

J. Crew Paisley Gemma Flats

J. Crew Jane Sunglasses

J. Crew Lookout High Rise Jeans similar here (on sale ) and here

Cheers to the last week of summer!

XO,

JAE

An Afternoon at The Getty

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This summer we did a fair amount of traveling and also made an effort to explore our home town. We managed to hit a lot of museums in Los Angeles.  One of my all-time favorites is The Getty Center.  We spent a great Sunday afternoon there a couple of weeks ago. The views are spectacular.  My son especially loves The Family Room where he can have a hands on experience (I managed to do so, as well). We all enjoyed the “London Calling” exhibit and had a fun lunch there as well.

 

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J. Crew Shirt

J. Crew Necklace

J. Crew Ryan Sunglasses

J. Crew Gemma Flats

J. Crew Lookout High Rise Cropped Jeans in White

J. Crew Hat (on sale!)

XO,

JAE

Thyme in the Ranch

Published on by thenavyleopard1 Comment

I had the nicest afternoon and lunch at Thyme in the Ranch, my Mom’s favorite lunch spot in Rancho Santa Fe, on her birthday eve.  Thyme in the Ranch is so charming and the food is delicious.  They have both indoor and outdoor seating and the decor is filled with florals, so I wore my latest J. Crew Bee shirt in my favorite blue and white stripes.  The challenge to wear pink had been a great way to add more pops of color to my looks.

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J. Crew Shirt

J. Crew Cashmere Cardigan in Neon Hibiscus

J. Crew Jane Sunglasses

J. Crew Gemma Flats

J. Crew Lookout High Rise Cropped Denim in White

Happy Shopping!

XO,

JAE

 

Pinking into Fall

Published on by thenavyleopard1 Comment

I love seeing fall clothes in the stores, but it is still summer.  We are enjoying the last week of summer with a getaway and lots of beach time.  J. Crew’s recent roll out with all the pink is amazing.  The Drake’s prints are so beautiful.  You can read more about their history and the process here.  I continue to enjoy the challenge to wear pink.  I love this Drake’s shirt with pops of pink in the cardigan and my new J. Crew Jane sunglasses. The white denim pencil skirt still makes it feel summery.

J. Drake's with rug

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J. Crew Collection Drake’s Shirt

J. Crew Cashmere Cardigan in Neon Hibiscus (on sale!)

J. Crew Panama Hat (on sale!)

J. Crew Jane Sunglasses

J. Crew White Denim Pencil Skirt

J. Crew Sandals (older style) better new style that is on my wishlist here

Happy Shopping!

XO,

JAE

Mani Friday – Bikini Edition

Published on by thenavyleopardLeave a comment

I am savoring the last weeks of summer with beach getaways and a bikini mani.  The summer flew by and I am glad we spent a lot of in both the ocean and pools.  We still plan to get some more beach time in before school starts.  I am beach ready with my mani, for sure.

The color is “Creekside” by CND Vinylux.  The nail art is a navy polka-dot bikini with “Momma” by RGB Cosmetics.  The manicure and nail art are by Olive & June.

Happy Friday!

XO,

JAE

JAE and the Chocolate Factory

Published on by thenavyleopardLeave a comment

John Kelly Chocolates are simply the best.  Fair warning, it is hard to enjoy other chocolate after trying them.  They have a boutique in Santa Monica that is right near my bank, so I find myself there frequently for a treat.  They make great gifts by the box and I have  been the lucky recipient more than once.  The pieces are generous and that allows one to be very satisfying.  I was talking about how much I love them when I was in the store a few weeks ago and they suggested that I visit the factory.

The factory is on Hollywood and also has a boutique.  It is a bit off the beaten path and was originally only the factory.  They had so many people stopping by wanting to buy chocolate that they added the boutique.  They also ship nationally (you can order here) and are featured in a number of gourmet markets and fine hotels. You can search for a location near you here.

The Hollywood Boutique

The Cacao Bean

The process starts in a 150 pound kettle.  Each truffle fudge batch is 150 pounds. The truffle fudge is cooled and cut. The bottom and top are coated separately.  Then either a hand drawn letter or salt is added.  They use six different artisanal salts.  They were one of the first chocolatiers to use salt with chocolate in a major way.  They are included with not just caramels as you may have tried elsewhere.  The Peanut Butter with Himalayan Pink Salt is one of my absolute favorites. You can read more about the ingredients they use here.

The belt moves at a nice pace for all the handmade work.  It did make me think of the “I Love Lucy” episode which is noted in several fun posters. The staff of artisans all took  happy pride in their work.

It was such a treat to see the artisans at work.  My family was happy that I made a purchase in the boutique.

My outfit:

J. Crew Necklace

J. Crew Shirt

J. Crew Lookout High Rise Jeans similar here (on sale!) and here

J. Crew Paisley Gemma Flats

Hairnet issued by John Kelly

Enjoy some handmade truffle fudge chocolates today!

XO,

JAE

Blue Herons Taking Flight

Published on by thenavyleopardLeave a comment

This blue heron t-shirt in my favorite navy blue inspired a leaping photo shoot.  I had to include a pop of pink with my Gemma Paisley flats to meet the current J. Crew challenge. Speaking of challenges, this post is my 100th post!  I’m definitely jumping for joy over that.  When I started this blog just over four months ago,  my goal was to publish five days a week. Thank you for following along. 

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J. Crew T-Shirt

J. Crew Paisley Gemma Flats

J. Crew Ryan Sunglasses

J. Crew Lookout High Rise Cropped White Jeans (25% off with code WEEKOFSTYLE)

Happy Shopping!

XO,

JAE