Bay Area Fashionista


Agraria AirEssence Diffuser home fragrance in Mediterranean Jasmine review

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Pictured: Agraria Mediterranean Jasmine AirEssence Diffuser c/o Agraria

Agraria AirEssence Diffuser is a beautiful way to integrate home fragrance into ones’ home. I am a huge fan of home fragrance. I love candles, Scentsy burners; anything which will make my home smell fabulous. The biggest challenge I find with many home fragrances on the market is that they do not look pretty and sometimes smell artificial. 

I was so excited when I received my Agraria Mediterranean Jasmine AirEssence Diffuser in the mail. Not only was the packaging beautiful, the diffuser itself was sophisticated, pretty and in my favorite color; blue! Love it! 

I decided to place my Agraria Mediterranean Jasmine AirEssence Diffuser in my living room by the fireplace. Our fireplace is large and our furniture is set around the fireplace; so it is definitely the centerpiece of the room. I love the vivid blue hue of the Mediterranean Jasmine oil and it looks pretty against the black and white of my fireplace. The white flowers are also gorgeous and their white hue help tie the diffuser into the color scheme of the fireplace mantel.

The Agraria Mediterranean Jasmine AirEssence Diffuser, once assembled, takes twenty-four hours to fully diffuse. The flowers actually soak in the oil from the vase and turn a very pale blue. From the flowers, the scent diffuses throughout the room, The jasmine scent is not too strong and leaves a beautiful, light fragrant scent throughout the room. My living room smells fresh and floral; exactly the way I love it!

Agraria has a beautiful selection of AirEssence Diffusers which include Balsam and Bitter Orange; two fragrances I would like to try out for my home. Agraria also has a collection of petite diffusers, soaps, potpourri and candles. I am looking forward to trying out these others products by Agraria; especially the candles!

Additional scents and products by Agraria:


Academy of Art spring/summer 2015 New York Fashion Week

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Photos: Cathy/Bay Area Fashionista 2014©

The Academy of Art showed their spring/summer 2015 collections on September 6, 2014 at New York Fashion Week. The Academy of Art collections are near and dear to my heart. When I was a student at the University of San Francisco, I knew a lot of students who attended the Academy of Art and their work was always inspirational. I was mesmerized by their talent and how art was shaping the future. To see the Academy of Art’s collection presented live, across the country in New York for fashion week, isn’t only a treat, it is a proud Bay Area moment!

The spring/summer 2015 collections from Academy of Art, once again, push the boundaries of what we wear and how we wear it. The collections showed tonal dressing, mixes of texture, layers (a huge trend on the runways for 2015!) and longer hemlines (another huge trend!).

I wish my photos were better, but my seat was at a bad picture taking angle. To view the collection in its’ entirety, please watch the IMG Fashion video below.

Just like last season, I want to get my hands on the cozy sweaters from Academy of Art’s runway! I wish I could just walk into a store a buy one, but alas, I cannot. What is your favorite look from the Academy of Art runway?


Cropped trousers for fall 2014

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2014 cropped pants an trousers pictured from left: Black Cropped Trousers / Grey Cropped Trousers / Black Cropped Pants

Cropped trousers and pants are a huge trend for the fall 2014 season. Also known as the 7/8 pant, the cropped trouser is the hottest office-appropriate trend to go from the runways to the streets. Cropped trousers also happen to be a fabulous alternative to classic, conservative trousers.

The cropped trouser, can be worn to the office, or spiced up with a moto jacket for more casual occasions. The cropped trouser for fall 2014 can also be worn with sweaters for a cozy look. When it comes to shoes, cropped trousers look very “of-the-moment” with open toe booties. When wearing booties with cropped trousers for fall 2014, look for booties which hit right below, or at the ankle bone. If the bootie goes too high, it will interfere with the placement of the cropped hemline and create a cluttered look below the knee; no-one wants a cluttered look below the knee!

Cropped trousers also look amazing with pointed toe pumps for a dressier, feminine touch. If you are going for the fall 2014 menswear trend, pair cropped trousers with a menswear inspired loafer, penny loafer, oxford or slip-on. The smoking slipper is “oh so last year,” so make sure your flat shoes for fall 2014 are more of a loafer than slipper. 

If you are interested in adding an edgy look to cropped trousers for the fall 2014 season, try the emerging lug sole trend. Once popular in the early 1990’s, and brought back to life on the runway by Prada in 2009, the lug sole is arguably the hottest emerging trend in footwear. Look for lug sole loafers this season as well as booties, boots and pumps. A pair of lug sole loafers or pumps will add a little bit of sass to your work trousers and will also help you grip the sidewalk on icy or snowy days. Love that! Function meets fashion 😉

When shopping for the cropped trouser this fall 2014, look for classic neutrals such as grey or black. This will allow you to pair almost anything with your cropped pants and will also make them ideal for an office environment. I found a few amazing pair of cropped trousers around the web and assembled them into the shopping widget below. I am eyeing a couple pairs from this widget myself 😉 Happy shopping, and stay fabulous.