Billie Jean

Designer vs. Designer

Which one is more expensive?? Can you tell? The one on the left belongs to Dannijo and the one on the right belong to Loren Hope. Dannijo has been a jewelry company that I have admired for a while now but their pieces are pretty pricey. It is definitely jewelry that I splurge on once in a while. Loren Hope is another jewelry designer that I have recently discovered and their aesthetic is similar to that of Dannijo. And why do I love Loren Hope? Because of the affordable prices!! The Dannijo earrings are $295 and the Loren Hope earrings are $68!! While I love both brands, I wanted to share with my readers the similar designers for when you want to splurge on some beautiful, handmade jewelry or for when you need to be a little more budget conscience but still stylish!! 

Gifts for Mom

Mothers Day is coming up! It is still weird for me to see that word and think of myself as a mother. I instantly think of my own mother (duh) and then I have to remind myself that I am a mother too. Here are a few of my favorite "gifts for mom." I think anything that you can get personalized, doesn't even have to be jewelry, is the perfect gift. Either personalized with the kid's names and/or initials or personalized with the child(ren)'s birthstone is precious! And, of course, anything sleep/bath related is perfect for mom too! Us moms needs relaxation time as soon and as much as possible!! Not to mention a drink or glass of wine every now and then. Anything liquor related is usually more of a "man's gift" but this Royal Rose syrup makes a great "yellow brick road" (recommended by the catbirdettes on catbirdnyc.com). 

I haven't really "slept" since I found out I was pregnant with little Miss Tory Taylor, which was back in 2011. Yeah, it's been a while. I feel like I am finally pulling myself back together though. I am still always really tired and barely find the time (and energy) to get myself ready for the day. But lately, I've been acting like my old self again. I find more energy to put on a full face and fix my hair. I still struggle with that though. So, that is why I have also recommended beauty products on my mom-gift-guide. A nice, new bottle of perfume is always a sweet gesture. I love perfume bottles, ya know, it is all about the packaging. Have you smelt the new Tory Burch scent?! It is heavenly! 

||Royal Rose||Famous Letter Ring||ID Bracelet||Perfume||Cosmetics Case||Cat Eye Mask||

To see the entire list of products that Nordstroms has up on their Mother's Day Gifts, click on that link. Nordstrom is always a place that I rely on for gifts and great shopping for myself!! Also, please check out Catbird!! One of my favorite jewelry shops!! They have so many great personalized gifts for mom!! Especially all of their stackable initial rings!! Happy shopping!! 

Eau de Parfum

Bohemian Maxi

||Dress, c/o Lovers + Friends||Hat, Anthropologie||Bag, Anthropologie||Jewelry, David Yurman, Gucci, Tai via Neiman Marcus, Anthropologie, Kendra Scott Luxe||

Lovers + Friends, a "California cool"  clothing line, uses both fun, bright colors and bold, daring prints! What's not to love? They claim to be "ambitious, fun, sexy & confident" and I would have to agree!! The brand is about being effortless and what is not effortless about a maxi dress?! A maxi dress is my absolute favorite summer time essential. It is easy and I get so much wear out of it!! Just throw it on and go! One misconception about the color black is that you can't wear it in the summer time. Well people, black is not just for your winter wardrobe and in fact, "black & white" is a HUGE trend for Spring and Summer 2014. Black & white to me is always in fashion though. It is classic and so is black all by itself. I know that grabbing for those bright colors is naturally what you want to do during warmer seasons but remember that you can brighten up your ensemble with colorful accessories!! 

I thought that going barefoot for this post was fitting. My initial thought wasn't to go "bohemian" but once I added all of my accessories that is just what ended up happening naturally. So then I just thought to myself, "Lets do no shoes and just keep it free-spirited." When wearing this dress out, I would pair it with an open-toe wedge possibly in red or black. If I wore it with all these same accessories, I would probably pick the red wedge just to add more color. And do a more of a red lip as opposed to a red-orange. What do you love to wear most during the summer time??!!

Easter

||Dress, Anthropologie||Hat, Anthropologie||Clutch, J.Crew Factory||Jewelry, Kendra Scott||Heels, DVF via Nordstrom||Sunglasses, Missoni (old)||

Happy Easter!! Hope everyone is enjoying their day!! It is nice that retail considers this a holiday, so I can stay home and enjoy the holiday with my family!!! It was fun putting out the eggs this morning in the back yard. Tory got two bunnies and a new book about manners along with some yummy candy!! She was too adorable running around finding her eggs. She had the biggest smile on her little face. These are the moments that are so sweet and memorable!! 

I absolutely love this dress. It reminds me of the dress that Carrie Bradshaw wears to see Big at The Loeb Boathouse Central Park restaurant in Sex & The City. Ya know, the episode where they fall into the pond because Carrie thinks Big is leaning in for a kiss and she tries to dodge him. One of my favorite episodes. And one of my favorite outfits worn by the fashion icon, Carrie Bradshaw. I just googled the dress and it is almost identical the one that I am wearing. I am a SATC nerd. 

Joey and I took Tory to see her first movie in the theatre. We were hesitant but she's really great with movies at the house. She used to only sit there for the first 30 minutes and then she progressed to about 45 and now she'll sit there for the whole film. So we were being brave today and wanted to go out and do something special so we decided to see Mr. Peabody & Sherman. She got out of her seat aka my lap a few times but for the most part, I think she did really well. So we will possibly take her to see another movie real soon.