Bay Area Fashionista

Summer totes for summer 2016

 in Handbags / Trends  tagged summer 2016 / totes by

best totes for summer 2016

Summer totes from top left: black tote (designer classic) / straw tote (under $70) / classic red tote (under $300) / straw tote (under $500 and packable) / red tote (timeless designer bag under $1000) / black tote (hot designer on major sale!) / tan tote (under $175) / navy straw tote (on trend & under $150)

Summer is here! This means we all need the perfect tote for the pool, the beach, and traveling to fabulous summer destinations! Since I am in the market for a cute summer tote, I decided to compile the most fabulous on trend, and timeless summer totes, in various price ranges, into this post.

Straw, shades of tan and brown, pom poms, embellishments, and shades of red, are all hot trends in handbags for summer 2016. I love having a classic summer tote on hand which can be worn with a casual outfit, or a dressier ensemble when a roomy tote is needed. (let’s face it, when you have kids sometimes the cute shoulder bag gets left behind and your tote is paired with a dressy outfit despite the unfashionable nature of the look)

I love the idea of an on trend, hot off the runway, embellished tote! The pom pom tote pictured above embodies all the hot handbag trends of the season, and it is super cute to boot! It will also be perfect for beach, and pool days. I am definitely leaning towards the navy straw tote as my summer 2016 tote.

The red totes are also calling my name. I would love a classic, red tote which can easily be worn during the summer months, as well as into the fall, and winter seasons. Red is an important color for the upcoming fall season; and it plays well with the 1970s inspired color palette for both summer, and fall. A red tote definitely has longevity with the current trends; plus it is a timeless bag that can be worn for years!

Which totes are your favorite for the summer 2016 season?

Mysterious navy dress

 in Bay Area Fashion / General Fashion  tagged hm / outfits / summer 2016 / tory burch / valentino by

H & M nursing dress
flowing navy dress for summertory burch degrade shoulder bagnavy summer dresssummer wedding guest dress

Pictured: Earrings: Kendra Scott / Sunglasses: Chanel / Lipstick: c/o Dolce & Gabbana Dolce Rosa / Dress: H & M / Cuff: Kendra Scott / Nail Polish: Dolce & Gabbana Turquoise (sold out in USA, similar here) / Handbag: Tory Burch / Shoes: Valentino (old, current season here)

Have you ever spotted the perfect article of clothing, outfit, or dress at a store, only to discover it was maternity; and you weren’t pregnant at the time? Ha! Apparently I just did that!

I spotted the perfect navy dress for the summer at H & M. This dress has a midi length, flowing silhouette, tie belt, and puff top which offered a beautiful drape; all for under $50! I knew right away this navy dress would be perfect during the summer season for church, a wedding, a shower, a fundraising lunch, the theater, or any summer event which calls for a dressy dress! I fell in love, and snapped it up!

Since I often share my church outfit on my Instagram account, I decided to grab the link to the dress to share with my Instagram friends. You can only image my shock when I found the dress on H & M’s website, only to learn it was a nursing dress! Really?? So, I looked down the top, and lo and behold, there was the hole! Yikes! Of course the minute I mentioned it, my husband decided it was some sort of sign that we should go for baby number four. Um no, we are good with three!

I bent into several different positions, having my kids and husband check to make sure the hole was not visible. Everything that needed to be covered, was covered! The dress was safe to wear.

Now that I am over the initial shock of buying a nursing dress without knowing, I have found that I love this dress, and will definitely wear it often this season.

If you are looking for a nursing dress, or just a really versatile dressy dress for the summer, then this is perfect! Especially with a price tag of under $50, how can you go wrong?

Nursing dress and outfit details:

Summer Kick-Off Poptail party at Hotel Valencia

 in Events  tagged hotel valencia / kendra scott / restaurants / santana row / summer 2016 by

santana row and hotel valencia summer kickoff poptail party

From top: Rita, Laura (Have Need Want), and me / Patriotic Poptail / Group of Patriotic Poptails / Pink on the Cheek won a Kendra Scott necklace in the raffle!

Last week Hotel Valencia at Santana Row hosted a Summer Kickoff party featuring a fun, summer drink named a “Poptail.” The Poptails featured a Popsicle and small amount of alcohol. There was also a mock Poptail offered, which Laura enjoyed, that featured a Popsicle and sparkling water. These drinks will be offered throughout the summer season at Hotel Valencia. The Popsicle was very refreshing!

The party attracted a very large crowd, which included some of my friends! It was fun to be able to run into some of my friends, and fellow local bloggers, at the event. Kendra Scott had a table at the Poptail party which gave guests details about their upcoming store opening. They also hosted a raffle where several guests were able to win beautiful jewels by Kendra Scott! You can read about the new store opening online here.

After the party, Laura and I enjoyed a yummy dinner at Pizza Antica. We sat outside, which was perfect since it was still around eighty degrees outside at 7:30pm. It was such a fun evening!

You can learn more about Hotel Valencia online here.