My maternal Grandmother B, who I wrote about in this post, would have turned 105 on Sunday. She lived one day shy of 100 years and is still a daily inspiration. Her name was B, she loved bees and she definitely buzzed around with infectious and authentic energy.
The color is “Sun Bleached” by CND Vinylux. The manicure and nail art are by Olive & June.
Happy Friday!
XO,
JAE
With the warmer weather I am enjoying easy one step summer dresses. This chambray dress is a similar style to the gingham that I featured in this post and the coral that I featured in this post. I styled it with my new favorite gold espadrilles (40% off today see details below) , hat and my new summer tote from Parker Thatch. The tote is the perfect size and has an internal zipper, so it is great for travel. I love the sequins and navy pom. The night before my birthday I had a great dinner with my parents and son at Ki’s in Cardiff on the beach and caught an amazing sunset.
J. Crew Shoes (40% off with code THURSDAY through today, June 23rd at 11:59 pm eastern)
Happy Shopping!
XO,
JAE
I celebrated my birthday last weekend. Birthdays used to give me a tremendous amount of anxiety. I started my own personal life performance review about a month before. There was some, a lot of crying, soul searching and angst. A lot of that had to do with where I was in life in terms of marriage and children (and the lack thereof) through most of my thirties. I met my husband ten years ago about a month before my birthday. He definitely witnessed a few crazy tears leading up to my birthday and he did not run for the hills. He planned a nice dinner and showed up with flowers and a great gift. It was a great birthday then.
This year was also a great birthday. I started the celebration with my son and my parents in San Diego with breakfast (and a fun dinner with a view the night before). My son and I went to visit them as soon as school got out. We drove back to Los Angeles and arrived home to a decorated house with flowers, balloons, a lovely lunch of my favorite gourmet sandwich, Harry’s Berries, mini cupcakes and cards laid out.
After this celebration that my husband planned so that our son would not feel left out when the babysitter (yes, babysitter!) arrived. We headed out for one of my favorite activities, you guessed it, shopping. We went to Calypso and he took a comfortable seat while I tried on a bunch of new arrivals. I bought a couple of dresses and even wore one out of the store.
A friend had recently celebrated her birthday at Capo in Santa Monica. I mentioned it to my husband and, to my surprise, he was able to get a reservation. But first, margaritas at Casa Del Mar (where we had our first date). The margaritas were house made and delicious.
Capo exceeded our expectations from the great service to the amazing dinner and decadent chocolate soufflé. I had calamari al forno and an amazing pasta sampler.
Best of all, no tears – well almost. There were a couple of tears of joy and gratitude. I am lucky to have a husband who makes me feel so special on my birthday. I also appreciate having each birthday. Life is short and precious. It is a privilege to get older and one that I do not take for granted.
Outfit details:
Calypso Clutch (similar here)
Here is to the privilege of getting older.
XO,
JAE
My penchant for blue and white is no secret. I love the eyelet with the navy blue of this t-shirt. It works so well with my favorite striped flats and white jeans. The hat has a dark chambray band and is a lifesaver now that the June gloom has departed and it is sunny and hot in Southern California. J. Crew has a great selection of hats. I recently bought two and they have been in constant rotation. Between the hat and this t-shirt that doesn’t read like a t-shirt, this outfit kept me cool in the 100 degree heat.
J. Crew Top (40% off with code TUESDAY through 11:59 pm today, June 21, 2016)
J. Crew Striped Shoes (on sale!)
AG Jeans at Calypso
Lip Gloss by Lipstick Queen Big Bang in Creation
Happy Shopping!
XO,
JAE
J. Crew issued a second challenge this week to wear floral for a week. The first challenge was to wear gingham five days in a row. Two of my looks from that challenge are in this post and this post. I chose the “Into the Wild Print” and went for it. I was not sure about the off-the-shoulder look until I tried it on. It is so fresh and summery. As I mentioned in this post, I used to have to wear a Hawaiian print dress to my high school hostess job at the Chart House and was not thrilled about it. If this dress had been an option then, I would have wanted to work seven days a week and would have been happy to wear it out after work. It is easy to wear and the print has such rich colors and a great jungle vibe. The espadrilles are so comfortable and I love the gold. They are quickly becoming my go-to summer sandal. I have worn them non-stop since purchasing them (always the sign of a good purchase).
The hat and shoes are 30% off with the code SUMMER through 11:59 pm tonight, June 20th.
Lip Gloss by Lipstick Queen Big Bang in Creation
Happy Shopping!
XO,
JAE
Summer is here! Well at least kiddo’s school finished this week. I know we have a few days until it is officially Summer. I was inspired by all the delicious strawberries that are so perfect right now.
The color is “Moon” by RGB Cosmetics and the manicure and nail art are by Olive & June.
Happy Friday!
XO,
JAE
I love this Ikat print!. It is in my favorite navy of course and has a chambray feel to it. J. Crew just launched their last of their summer roll-outs. The blouse is a collection piece and there is a skirt in the same print. I am considering the skirt as well. It is a fun way to create the look of a dress while still having the versatility of separates. In the meantime, I could not wait to style it with denim and my striped flats (that are on sale and still available).
J. Crew Jeans (similar here)
J. Crew Striped Flats (on sale!)
Lipgloss Big Bang in Creation by Lipstick Queen
Happy Shopping!
XO,
JAE
Thirty Years!? Last weekend I attended my thirty year high school reunion. I attended the ten year and did not manage to go to the twenty or twenty-five. I wanted to, there just was a lot going on those years. I had heard that the thirty year was the best. At the ten year everyone wants to show what they have accomplished. At the thirty year everyone just seems more real and that was certainly the case. Our class had a great turnout including several people who traveled internationally.
My father has managed to attend all his reunions in Alabama (he lives in California). That has always inspired me to make the effort. Life is short and precious and you never know how many reunions you will have the opportunity to attend. It is a milestone. Facebook is great for reconnecting with classmates and keeping up with their adventures, but there is something special about reconnecting in person. Everyone remembers and tells different stories and it is so fun to relive memories (and laugh like a seventeen year old again). New memories are created with old friends and not just the friends you already see regularly. My friends and I all agreed we will attend every five years.
As excited as I was to go, I still had some last minute packing and outfit selection anxiety. I decided to go with my favorite white jeans, a fabulous sequined top that is on sale at Calypso, and my striped heels and clutch from J.Crew. One of my classmates commented that I was the preppiest person they have ever known, so J. Crew stripes for evening wear was no surprise.
Calypso Sequined Top (on sale!)
J. Crew Clutch (sold out) but this one or this one would work and it is 40% with code SUMMER
J. Crew Shoes (sold out), but these or these would look great.
White and Warren Cashmere Wrap
Here’s to milestones and memories!
XO,
JAE
Who knew lavender could be such a basic. I debated buying these lavender jeans. I wear them almost as much as white jeans. They look great with my favorite navy blue and also work well with leopard print, so for me they are a neutral. I have previously featured them in this post and this post. This is a look I put together for a celebration in my son’s Kindergarten classroom that was followed by a flight and a party. Tune in tomorrow for more on where I went and what I celebrated. Everything in this post is on sale and linked below.
J. Crew Blazer (on sale!)
J. Crew Sleeveless Drapey Top (on sale!)
J. Crew striped flats (on sale!)
J. Crew Belt similar here
AG Jeans (on sale!)
Happy Shopping!
XO,
JAE
As you have seen in my posts, I wear a lot of jeans. White jeans, denim and colored denim. I wanted a different silhouette. These J. Crew Rory pants remind me of the gauchos of my youth and they are so comfortable. I styled them with my favorite sleeveless drapey top, a necklace for a pop of color and of course leopard print sandals. The best part – they are low maintenance and machine washable just like the top.
J. Crew Sleeveless Drapey top (on sale)
Gianvito Rossi shoes on sale and also available in more sizes here
Happy Shopping!
XO,
JAE
the navy leopard 