Black, White, and Tan

Shorts Zara/ Shoes Sam Edelman/ Top Forever21/ Bag Tory Burch

Yep, I am still wearing these shorts everywhere! Nick and I had a fun packed Saturday in San Francisco, attending the Giants game and wandering around the pier with two of our favorite people. Check out my instagram page for pictures from the game. Have a great week!

Tulle Skirt

 

Skirt Forever 21 (about 2 years old)/Top and Jewelry Nordstrom/ Shoes Target

 

*Sorry, I couldn't resist posting this picture of Dexter with his Fall/Winter coat blowing in the breeze

Thank you all so much for the kind words. It really means a lot to me that you a) enjoy my blog and b) took the time to share your thought. After taking some time to think it over I have decided to continue to post; however, on a less frequent/regular basis. I think the pressure of posting four to five times a week was a little much for me to manage. I will try to update a couple of times a week, but no promises.

 

We spent the week/weekend enjoying the company of one of our nephews and my aunt. We had sleepovers, visited the reptile museum (not ever going there again), and headed to Santa Cruz boardwalk for some rides and lunch/dinner on the water. I love when family visits, but it makes it that much harder when they leave. At least I know that I will be seeing them again soon!

Embellished Tee and Ripped Jeans

 

 Jeans Joe's/ Top Express/ Shoes Shoedazzle/ Bag Marc by Marc Jacobs

 

I was going to write about finding this shirt in my closet and visiting with family, but instead I will tell you a little about the conversations I have been having with my sister and husband. I am thinking about quitting :( I don't know if any of you have put yourself "out there" before, but doing this blog has definitely taken me out of my comfort zone. When I started this blog I had very high expectations for myself, like most people do when they set out to do something. I also set a goal for myself, which I have not reached, not even close. Blogging can sometimes be the most rewarding part of my day and it can also be the worst part of my day. I have received so much support from many of my family and friends and I am very grateful for that. I wouldn't have made it this long without them. I think I need to reevaluate why I am doing this and what I hope to gain, if anything. Any words of wisdom would be much appreciated :)


 

Printed Skirt

Skirt Topshop/Top Express/ Shoes Aldo/ Bag Chanel

I thought this skirt was really fun and decided to step outside of my comfort zone a bit. I have been getting very excited for Fall and the upcoming holidays. There is nothing better than pumpkin flavored everything, changing leaves, snuggly blankets, and the smell of rain. Have a great day!

Simple Black Tee

 

Jeans Seven for All Mankind/ Clutch YSL/ Tee American Apparel/ Shoes Steve Madden/ Bracelet Gift from Costa Rica

With the exception of my dinner date outfits, I feel like I have really been getting back to the basics for my everyday wear. I don't feel like layering jewelry or clothing at all and there is something about a flare jean that has been calling my name. I hope you all are having a great week.

In my red high heels...

Shorts Zara/ Heels Aldo/ Bag Chanel/ Top Old/ Necklace JCrew

I always struggle with what to write. I typically write a paragraph about how I am feeling, what I am thinking, some goal that I have, etc., but I always end up deleting it. I know the blog is supposed to be my space, where I can put what I want and not care. However, it can be difficult to open yourself up like that for several reasons...will anybody read it? take it seriously? care? I also realize that I go in cycles with my attitude (not caring, being angry, working hard at be a "good" person etc.). I guess what I am trying to say is that I am not ready to let anybody/everybody/nobody into my crazy little mind like I let those (un)lucky few :) I know that I have said similar things before, so I guess my consistent topic is discussing the difficulty that I have coming up with topics.

Crop Top

Top Arden B/ Skirt Macys/ Shoes Shoemint/ Bag Chanel

 

I wore a variation of this outfit in Tahoe for a girl's weekend getaway. I am not going to lie....I saw Lydia from Real Housewives of OC with a similar top about 4 months ago. I searched until I found one that looked identical (because I loved hers so much) and it turns out that this is the exact top she was wearing! And I say that I am not computer savvy :) Have a great weekend!

Last Summer

Top F21/ Shorts Nordstrom/ Shoes Michael Kors/ Clutch YSL

I was cleaning out my closet and found these shorts at the bottom of the pile.  This was one of my go-to looks last summer and I am still diggin' it! On a completely different note, I tried a new fitness class and I am loving it. It is a mix of yoga, pilates, and strength. It is kind of like a fast paced yoga/pilates done to really fun music. It's nice to mix up my routine.

Leopard + Leather + Bows

 

Top Joie/ Shorts Zara/ Shoes Steven by Steve Madden/ Bag Tory Burch

 

The Finale:

 

Strategic

 

Because of your strengths, you are a self-reliant person who needs time alone to think and work. You generate innovative ideas and propose systematic programs of action. You likely identify recurring configurations in the behavior of people, the functioning of processes, or the emergence of potential problems. By nature, you can reconfigure factual information or data in ways that reveal trends, raise issues, identify opportunities, or offer solutions. You bring an added dimension to discussions. You make sense out of seemingly unrelated information. You are likely to generate numerous ways to enhance, upgrade, revise, correct, or revamp a process, action plan or itinerary. Your suggestions often influence how a project will unfold in he coming months or years. Fixing people or things ranks high on your favorite activities. Chances are good that you customarily pinpoint the core problems and identify the best solutions. You artfully and skillfully eliminate distractions. This helps people gain a clear understanding of what is happening and why it is happening. You frequently identify ways to transform an obstacle into an opportunity. You yearn to improve things about yourself, other people, or situations. You are drawn to classes, books, or activities that promise to give you skills and knowledge you seek.

 

I hope that you enjoyed reading about my top five strengths/themes. I was a little surprised with the outcome of my assessment. It took some time for me to realize that these really did fit my, even if some apply better to different aspects of my life (personal versus professional).  If you were interested in finding out about yours I think you can go to the GALLUP website, although there may be a fee involved in taking the assessment.

Boho Dress

 

Dress and Hat F21/Shoes DV Dolce Vita/ Bag Urban Outfitters

 

I have white dress problems! Just can't seem to pass up the lace, crochet, eyelet, etc.

 

Drum roll please!!!! The much awaited fourth strength....

 

Relator

 

It's very likely that you genuinely enjoy activities when just about everything makes sense. You naturally gravitate to tasks where facts, events, processes, or ideas are methodically outlined.  By nature, you enjoy being busy, especially when you can assist someone in need.  You are likely to be a good partner at home, in the workplace, at school, or in the community.  You tend to do more than is expected of you.  Why?  You probably worry about wasting time.  This explains your habits of volunteering for projects and asking for extra duties.  Instinctively, you routinely reduce elaborate or intertwined ideas, processes, legal documents, and/or action plans to their basic elements.  As a result, people usually turn to you for plainspoken, easy-to-understand explanations.  Chances are good that you enjoy the companionship of individuals who tell you what they plan to accomplish in the coming weeks, months, or years.  Once you know their goals, you can help them reach their objectives.  Few things please you more than this.  Because of your strengths, you are naturally open and honest about who you are, what you have done, what you can do, and what you cannot do.  Your straightforward explanations and stories help listeners see you as you see yourself.  You reveal your strengths and limitations.  You are forthright and plainspoken.  People generally seek your company and want to work with you.  Many are impelled to move into action by your words and examples.

Night Out

 

 

Dress Astr via Nordstrom/ Shoes Shoedazzle/ Bag Marc by Marc Jacobs

 

 I've got some wild hair to match my wild dress!  Here is one more of my strengths/themes. I hope that you will be able to survive the weekend without knowing the last 2....

 

Futuristic

 

It's very likely that you consistently strive to improve yourself personally and professionally. You are inclined to target your shortcomings rather than enhance your natural abilities. You aim to minimize your limitations or eradicate them altogether. You think this is a small short-term plan for reaching your long-term goals. Driven by your talents, you intentionally take steps to be the mastermind of your future. You refuse to leave your destiny to chance. You probably resist placing it in someone else's hands. You trust your own intelligence and imagination when setting a direction for your life. Chances are good that you channel your mental and physical energies toward what you can accomplish in the months, years, or decades ahead. The question is this: "How far into the future can I think before my ideas start becoming vague or uninspiring?" Because of your strengths, you are eager to get started on a project once you realize what you can accomplish in the coming weeks, months, or years. You work very hard to breathe life into your big dreams. These often push and pull you into the future. By nature, you naturally spend a lot of time creating innovative ideas about what will be possible. When you concentrate on your areas of mastery, you frequently exhibit the behaviors of an inventor, a visionary, or a dreamer. You usually think about using your finely honed--that is--sharpened skills and knowledge in ways others have not considered. 

Leather Peplum

Skirt Gabriella Rocha/ Top Belletrix/ Shoes Jeffrey Campbell/ Bag Chanel

I thought I would hit you with some picture overload to make up for my lack of photos :) I am loving this leather peplum skirt. I hate to sounds like every other blogger, but this piece is going to transition so well into fall! I am also very excited to be featured on Dailybuzz.com again! Geek Chic was the topic and of course they chose a picture of me wearing my real glasses :)

 I know y'all couldn't wait to see what my second "theme" was so here you go....

Context
Driven by your talents, you diligently examine past events. You find patterns that keep recurring. This information allows you to anticipate what can happen in the future. You grasp the meaning of George Santanyana's warning: "Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it." It's very likely that you like debating people who have expertise about past events and key figures in history. You often make sense of things by putting much of this new information into a historical framework. By nature, you examine the past. You discover why things happened. This permits you to foresee the future. You study humankind's story to identify subtle nuances, recurring sequences of events, and predictable human behavior. Generating clever, resourceful, inventive, and original alternatives, you can offer solutions to age-old problems. Because of your strengths, you have an expertise for investigating historical records and other sources of information about the past. Based on your findings, you are in a position to speculate--that is, assume or wonder--about what is apt to occur in the future. Simply put: By looking back, you can look ahead. Instinctively, you enjoy acquiring information about the past from experts. You feel a lot more capable when you are knowledgeable about various periods of history.

***Dear Sister,
      I have diligently examined the past and I did indeed create the Barbie outfit! XOXO

Quinoa and Strengths

I have another really good excuse for not having an outfit post...I have actually been trying my hand in the kitchen again. We got into a little bit of a food rut for a while, but we are attempting to turn that all around. AND I ate fish. Okay it was tilapia, but that kind of counts still right?

Served with pan seared salmon (Nick's) and steamed broccoli

 

Cucumber and Mint Quinoa:
Ingredients

1 cup raw quinoa
2 cups vegetable stock
1 large clove garlic
1 medium bay leaf
1 tsp. fresh ground pepper
1 tsp. salt

1 Tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
2 Tbsp fresh chopped mint leaves
1 cup small diced seedless cucumbers (I used a cucumber with seeds)
1/2 cup small diced red onion

 

Instructions

1. Place stock, garlic, bay leaf, pepper, and salt in a heavy saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium high heat.

2. Add the quinoa and return to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer about 15 minutes.

3. Remove from heat. Let it sit for about 10 minutes.

4. Stir in the olive oil, lemon juice, fresh mint, cucumber, and red onion with a fork fluffing up the grains as you toss it lightly.

I also wanted to share with you one of my top five strengths. In short, my place of employment is working with a company that helped us to identify our top five strengths or "themes." We have been attending workshops on how to use those strengths to be our best self, better work with a team, etc.  I thought it was just another personality test, until I saw the results and the endless possibilities for combinations. There was not one other person out of the couple of hundred people that took it that shared my same traits.  Apparently we are very "cutting edge" by using this in the workplace.

For those of you who know me well none of this will sound surprising. Hopefully those of you who don't know me or who want to know me a little better will find this intriguing...

Top Theme: Individualization

Chances are good that you frequently examine the factors leading up to an event. Therein you discover the reasons why things happened the way they did. A number of individuals and/or groups probably appreciate you logical thinking style. By nature, you want to offer your assistance to people. However, you often struggle to find the words to tell them you are willing to lend a helping hand. Driven by your talents, you sense that every person is one of a kind. You can quickly discover what makes someone distinct from everyone else. It's very likely that you help individuals feel safe enough to risk sharing their most personal thoughts and feelings. They trust you will keep this information to yourself. You probably sense when someone is vulnerable-that is, easily hurt by criticism, rejection, or betrayal. Instinctively, you tend to be more successful when you work on your own. Knowing your contributions benefit someone else truly pleases you.

Chances are good that you frequently examine the factors leading up to an event. Therein you discover the reasons why things happened the way they did.  Hit the nail on the head!!!! Do you recall me talking about my over analyzing a couple of months ago? Chances are if we just hung out or had a conversation, I am analyzing it right now! This is why I will apologize for how something may have sounded 30 minutes after the conversation!

Born to Shop

Top BCBG/ Skort Free People/ Wedges Old

I had a very busy weekend and have yet again neglected my blog. I believe I have said this before, but I am not a picture person (then why the heck did I start a blog? haha). Example: I was gone all weekend in beautiful Tahoe, dancing it up with some gorgeous ladies and I managed to take about five whole pictures while I was there. We outfit planned for weeks...and still no pictures. I like to think that I am having too much fun to remember to take a dumb picture. I would rather be actually making the memories instead of just photographing a bunch of stuff...but I guess that it is just my excuse for not keeping my blog in mind :) I hope you will forgive me!