Bay Area Fashionista

Fluted bottom dress and a new wall

 in General Fashion  tagged outfits / spring 2019 by

lightweight summer dress fluted bottom dressit bags summer 2019modest dressessan jose fashion bloggers over 40

wearing: ivory and gold door knocker earrings / lipstick / navy fluted bottom dress (under $100) / Fendi logo ring / blue handbag /  spring nail polish / golden ankle bracelet / snakeskin shoes (they come in colors that actually match the dress) /

OK, before you slam your laptop shut and ask “why did she pair those shoes with that bag and that dress,” let me tell you, I am scratching my head too! haha Soooooooo, when I left the house in the morning it seemed like it all went together. Then, when I looked at the photos on my camera as we were snapping them, I realized, as fabulous as these shoes are, this is not the outfit for them. Oooops, I did a fashion faux-pas! Will you forgive me? It happens to everyone, once in awhile, right???

So, I love everything I am wearing, but those shoes should be with a different outfit, let’s just be real here.  If I close my eyes, and picture the shoes in black, pink, or blue, (they are available in all of those colors BTW), then the outfit is seamless and perfect. So just play along with me and my imagination game 😉

So now, let’s get back to the important stuff! This dress might seem heavy on a hot summer day, but it is quite lightweight! This fluted bottom dress is made from lightweight cotton, and was very comfortable on the 90-degree day I met my friend Dawn from Fashion Should Be Fun for lunch, laughter, and the obligatory outfit photos for the blog.

I met Dawn in front of Cocola at Santana Row, and we decided to try and discover a new wall in the area for our photos. We weren’t trying to find a wall to match our outfits, like we should have been doing, we just wanted something new and fresh. haha We walked all the way to the end of the Row and found a construction project which was almost complete. They had this temporary wall up, so we decided it was perfect! We both snapped our photos in front of it. Her black outfit might have been a better look for the wall then my look, but I didn’t care, I love this wall!

After we snapped our outfits, we walked over to our favorite stand-by restaurant on Santana Row, The Village Bistro Cafe. Since it was 90-degrees outside, we both opted for fancy salads and ice tea. We chatted up a storm, and had a blast! I wish we could meet up everyday!

These shoes were really comfortable for walking around, I really should pick up another pair in one of the other colors they come in. Hey, then they would match the dress! haha This dress was perfect in the heat too. I am looking forward to wearing it more often this warm weather season. The model online paired it with street sneakers, that is another option that I think looks really cool; and very comfortable! haha

Shop my fluted dress for spring and summer:

Have you ever mis-matched your shoes to your outfit and wondered what to do? Did you just deal with it for the day, and change your shoes at home like I did? Or, did you buy a new pair while you were out to fix the fashion faux-pas? (Thought crossed my mind lol)

Thanks for stopping by!

XOXO
Cathy

affordable dressesbell bottom dress

10 bags that will get you noticed this spring and summer

 in Entertaining / General Fashion / Handbags  tagged spring 2019 / summer 2019 by

bags that will get you noticed spring summer 2019

5 of the 10 bags that will get you noticed this spring and summer season, from top left: green and blue messenger bag / straw star clutch / hat bag with bow tie (I have a crush on this bag) / black and gold lady bag (tell them you’re rich!) / bead and fringe boho shoulder bag /

One of the big trends this spring/summer 2019 season, is the unconventional handbag. The hottest bags on the streets are in shapes which are far from classic, and to top it off, the bags get better with mixed media, prints, wild colors, and more! This is not a season to pull out your classic bags, this is the season to look for fun silhouettes, and unexpected styles.

Neon bags, multi-color bags, unexpected silhouettes; are all trends we love in handbags this season. While many designers and brands have taken these trends and turned them into understated bags, or more classic looking bags, some designers and brands have gone full speed ahead! There are some wild bags on the market this season! If quiet bags aren’t your thing, then here are ten bags that will get you noticed this spring and summer season. Scroll through to see all ten! You only have a sneak peek at five above 😉

Which bag has caught your attention? Do you plan to wear a bag that will get you noticed this spring/summer 2019 season?

Thanks for stopping by!

XOXO
Cathy

Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park hiking trails

 in Fitness  tagged family / hiking / outdoor fitness by

california hiking trails old growth redwoods redwood trees hiking trails redwood trees california

Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park is a fabulous grove of redwood trees complete with several hiking trails to enjoy. Many of the trails are dog friendly or horse friendly too! The many trails are connected, which allows you to hike all day for miles, or to enjoy a short, half-mile hike with small children. Whichever type of hike you are looking for, you will find it Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park!

We recently went to Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park in Felton with my daughter’s Girl Scout troop. The weather was perfect, and it was partially overcast, which gave us ideal hiking conditions. What I thought would be a two hour hike, turned into a 5 mile, all morning adventure! The girls are in middle school, so now that they are older, they can last longer on hikes. They enjoyed going on the moderate trails, and making it up to the Cathedral Redwoods circle of coast redwood trees. There were a few benches there, which made it ideal for snacking and drinking water.

The hiking trails at Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park are well maintained and quite clean. It was easy to avoid poison oak, and there was plenty of room for people to pass each other. There are many old growth redwoods, some which might have been two hundred years old! When Lt. John  C. Fremont was surveying the area in 1846, he camped in the area, and as a result, had an old growth tree, which is presumed to have been there when he was, named after him!

fremont tree henry cowell state park

There is a grove of old growth redwoods, named the Redwood Grove Loop Trail,  right by the visitor center, which offers an educational walk through elder trees. Oh the stories they could tell! This is a flat area, so if you have a stroller, or really small children, this grove is perfect! You can also catch a glimpse of the trains from Roaring Camp when they pass by. Your train-loving children will love that!

Visit like a local

I may sound like a broken record, but the early bird catches the worm! Try to arrive to Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park before 9am; especially during the peak summer season, and on weekends. If you arrive later in the day, you might have to park outside the park and end up hiking a mile just to get to the trails! Well, that’s no fun! Visit like a local, and arrive early.

The parking lot is $10, and very safe and well-maintained. In addition to hiking, you can walk over to Roaring Camp and ride a train, go camping, swim in the Garden of Eden, and/or attend a special event. This is a great park to visit again, and again! Without traffic, it is roughly 40 minutes from San Jose. It is located at 101 Big Trees Park Road in Felton, California.

You can learn more about the park online here. For a list of hiking trails, you can find one here.

If you’re local, where are your favorite hikes in the Santa Cruz area? If you’re not local, be sure to add Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park to your itinerary when you visit the San Francisco Bay Area! It’s close to the Santa Cruz beach!

Thanks for stopping by!

XOXO
Cathy

old growth redwood trees