BAF Weekly IT List

late summer street style trends

BAF Weekly IT List from top left: stripe tee (under $50) / Chanel fall nail polish / Dior pre-fall nail polish / Stripe handbag coverts to belt bag and cross body bag / snake buckle belt / foundation powder (love this!) / chain pouch / Gucci sneakers / convertible handbag (short strap or cross body) / linen joggers /

Can you believe we are halfway through August? Where did the summer vacation go? My kids are back in school, and we are all wearing summer clothing, while looking at fall clothing. The summer just flew by!

Despite it being the end of summer vacation, we are all still looking at lightweight clothing which can be worn in the late summer season, as well as the early fall season. After all, the first half of fall is just as hot as the middle of summer! These black linen joggers are a great, everyday pant, for warm weather. They are comfortable, and extremely lightweight. I live in my pair!

Also great on hot days, is this on trend tee with puff sleeves. It fits into both the summer and fall trends while offering lightweight comfort, and a fabulous price under $50. I live in mine!

Now that life is back to normal, convertible handbags are a huge must-have! Shoppers are seeking bags that can be worn multiple ways. This convertible black bag comes with two straps; one that be worn short, under the shoulder, and one that is cross body. Plus, it’s an IT bag under $300. Love that!

If you like a little bit of urban edge, this stripe convertible bag comes with a belt bag strap and a cross body strap. I wear mine cross body all the time, but it’s nice to have the belt bag option just in case. It’s very roomy, and adds spice to everyday outfits. Love!

If course, hot fall items such as nail polish, and chain bags, are easy to wear right now; despite the heat outside. They are a great way to update a summer wardrobe, without sacrificing comfort. Also hot right now, are staple IT items such as a fabulous belt, or these wildly popular sneakers. Love these too!

Shop the BAF Weekly IT List online:

Stay tuned! Fall trend coverage starts next week, as well as a review of Dior’s space-age, fall nail polish colors. You will swoon! Here is a little peek at all of Dior’s nail polish colors for fall:

Thanks for stopping by!

XOXO

Cathy

Pismo Beach day 3

  • Morning coffee by our hotel firepits

pictured: cross body bag (coverts to a belt bag) /

Well, our third and last day in Pismo Beach was one of relaxation. In the morning, we relaxed by our hotel’s firepits and enjoyed pastries and coffee. After breakfast, we took a family walk around downtown and enjoyed a casual lunch at Pismo Pizza and Chowder House. My kids enjoyed the pizza, which they tell me was delicious, and I enjoyed curly fries and a cup of clam chowder. Yum!

  • Pismo Pizza and Chowder House: Clam Chowder and Curly Fries
  • Afternoon tea-almost all gone! haha

pictured: cobalt mug (brought from home) / bracelets (local San Jose designer) / fall nail polish /

When we were done with lunch, we headed back to our hotel, and my husband and son went out to the beach. My daughters, on the other hand, wanted to go back to the downtown area and do some back-to-school shopping. I mean, who am I to object to some shopping?

It is very cool at my daughter’s high school to wear surf and skate brands. So, as you can imagine, my daughters found a couple of stores filled with the perfect attire to wear to school. We found plenty of tee’s, a sweater, and a sweatshirt they can wear in a few days when school starts. We also found key chains with their names on them! We never find their names on key chains, so we picked three! One for each of my children, with their names spelled perfectly. Love that!

After our shopping excursion, we relaxed with some tea, and then went back to the hotel patio to watch the waves, relax, and chat by the hotel firepits. Our hotel, Vespera Resort on Pismo Beach, was perfect for relaxing and admiring the beach and ocean. I highly recommend it if you travel to Pismo!

  • Relaxing again by the firepits at our hotel

pictured: linen joggers / Gucci sneakers /

My family was tired after a day at the beach, or a day of back-to-school shopping, so after we relaxed, we headed out to dinner to our go-to Pismo restaurant; Brad’s. This is a casual diner that we always stop at for brunch on our way to Southern California. As I mentioned in my day one post, we always stop in Pismo on our way somewhere! This was the first time we had Pismo Beach as our vacation destination, and we loved it!

What I wore on day three in Pismo Beach:

If you visit Pismo Beach, be sure to eat at Brad’s. They have a huge menu, and all of the food is delicious. Plus, the prices are reasonable. We have been eating there for years!

Well, that’s a wrap! Back to our busy lives in the Bay Area, and in a few days; school!

A few questions I have been asked on Instagram:

  1. This hotel looks beautiful, is it expensive? A: Yes, it is pricey, but it is also part of the Marriott network, so if you collect Marriott points you can use them to stay here and offset the cost.
  2. Can you recommend an affordable restaurant? A: Yes! Brad’s, Cool Cat Cafe, and Pismo Pizza and Chowder House. Yum!
  3. What is the weather like in Pismo? A: It was cool and comfortable. I would say the Pismo Beach area is roughly 10-15 degrees cooler than the Bay Area during the summer. We were sad to leave and go home to 90 degrees. So pack a sweater or sweatshirt, as well as at least one pair pants; just in case. I packed two pairs of shorts but never wore them. I lived in linen joggers, jeans, and leggings.
  4. Do the restaurants in Pismo require reservations? A: We only had reservations at The Oyster Loft and Somerset Grill. If you want an ocean view restaurant, I recommend making reservations. Most of the restaurants in town are on the casual side, and don’t require reservations.

Let me know if you have any additional questions and I will answer them!

Thanks for stopping by!

XOXO
Cathy

  • Dinner: Gardenburger from Brad’s
  • View from our hotel balcony
  • Pismo Beach sign at night, located by the Pier

Pismo Beach day 2

  • Pismo Beach sign near the pier

wearing: sunglasses / lipstick / earrings / puff sleeve tee (under $50) / cross body bag / bracelets / fall nail polish / linen joggers / espadrille mules /

On our second day in Pismo Beach, we decided to check out Cal Poly and their famous hiking trail known as the Architecture Graveyard. We woke up early, grabbed breakfast, and then by 8:30am, we were in our car heading up to Cal Poly; which my oldest daughter was excited about since it is one of twenty schools she is interested in attending next year. I am pretty sure we cannot visit them all, but I digress. . .

Poly Canyon Trail aka Architecture Graveyard Cal Poly

  • Entrance to Cal Poly Canyon
  • Description of work on trail
  • Architectural artwork
  • Example of bathroom
  • Information placard
  • Building on trail
  • Me on the Cal Poly campus ready to hike

wearing: sunglasses / workout tee / fall nail polish / cardigan / cross body bag / wide leg leggings (old, also love this pair) / hiking boots (old, also love these) /

The Architecture Graveyard is located on the Poly Canyon Trail. This trail begins as a service road, and roughly one mile in, you will find the entrance to the College of Architecture and Environmental Design’s trail.

This trail features work by Architecture and Engineering students which dates back to the 1960s. It’s interesting to see how architecture has changed from mid-century modern to now. One thing we found disappointing was the amount of graffiti and vandalism on many of the projects. It’s sad that people would come in and harm projects students created. Despite the vandalism, we could still picture the original intent of the projects, many of which would translate extremely well into real life. Of course, some are merely artistic.

Hiking on this trail was fantastic with the kids. They were having fun checking out the works, and didn’t notice how much hiking they actually did! Our round trip hike was well over two miles; much more then I get my kids to hike on a regular hiking trail. Love that! I highly recommend checking out this trail if you visit the area.

Downtown San Luis Obispo

  • Asian Chicken Salad at Firestone Grill
  • Inside the mission

After our hike, we were hungry! We headed over to Downtown San Luis Obispo and to Firestone Grill for lunch. This restaurant was recommended by the valet at our hotel, Vespera Resort on Pismo Beach. He steered us in the right direction! They had delicious lunch options which were all generous in size. The side of fries alone could feed a family of five! We were very full after lunch. I highly recommend checking this place out when you are in SLO. It’s delicious and reasonably priced. Love!

With our bellies full, we took a short walk around downtown, and then did a self-guided tour around the mission; which is beautiful. I recommend checking out this important part of California history if you visit SLO.

When we were done touring downtown, we headed back to Pismo Beach, and rested for a short bit in our hotel. Then, we headed downstairs for dinner at the Somerset Grill in our hotel, which was delicious! I enjoyed a salmon dinner with lentils and mushrooms. Yum!

  • Salmon dinner at Somerset Grill, Vespera Resort on Pismo Beach

After dinner, we walked around the beach and pier. We discovered there was a height ruler on the edge of the “P” of the Pismo Beach sign by the pier. We had fun seeing our heights with shoes on. I love how shoes add a couple inches. We all felt so tall! haha

Shop my Pismo Beach day 2 outfit and hiking look online:

Day 2 in Pismo Beach was a great day! We got some exercise, checked out a college, and relaxed by the beach. Love!

Stay tuned for more coverage from Pismo!

Thanks for stopping by!

XOXO
Cathy

  • Ruler on the edge of the Pismo Sign by the pier. I’m taller with shoes on! Love that!