Summer 2019 shoe wardrobe

summer 2019 shoe trends

Summer 2019 must-have shoes from top: black espadrille mules / black platform flip flops / ivory wedge espadrilles / beach theme flip flops /

Summer is here! This means warm weather, beach days, outdoor fitness, and casual ensembles to match our summer fun activities. When the weather heats up, I tend to leave my leather shoes in the closet, unless I need to get dressed up for an occasion. Instead, I opt for natural fabrics, or wide open shoes which can keep my feet cool when temperatures soar.

For summer 2019, the trends in shoes are roughly the same as last year. We are still seeing wedges, mules, and smaller platforms when it comes to standard, summer staples such as flip flops and espadrilles. So hopefully some of your shoes survived last summer’s heat, beach, and water activities. If so, you won’t need to replace what survived, only fill in the holes in your wardrobe.

You know I love espadrilles! They are comfortable, easy to wear while walking on the beach, and dry off easily when splashed by pool water. The natural fibers keep feet cool, and they always offer a vacation vibe; no mater the occasion or outfit. Don’t we always want to feel like we are on vacation, even when we aren’t? haha, I do! It’s so relaxing!

This summer season, I am sticking to wedges and mules when it comes to my espadrille wardrobe. I have a few pairs I bought in the spring season, and for the summer season, I added a new pair of higher wedges, and classic black mules. This is a versatile espadrille wardrobe to carry me through the summer.

Flip flops for summer 2019

flip flops summer 2019

flip flops for summer 2019 from top left: beach scene flip flops / black platform flip flops / black palm print flip flop /

Flip flops are always a must-have when it comes to summer shoes. I like having two pairs of flat flip flops for the pool, beach, and for hot days. One pair always either breaks or ends up missing a shoe, which is why I make sure I have two pairs of flop flips on hand at all times. This beach scene pair give off a relaxing vibe, while the black palm print pair evokes visions of a tropical beach getaway. Since I am leaving for Hawaii in a few days, I thought these two pairs of flip flops were perfect for summer 2019.

Of course, sometimes we need a pair of flip flops that match our cute summer outfits. This is why I decided to add a pair of black flip flops to my summer shoe wardrobe. These one inch platform flip flops are perfect for going from the pool to the street; simply because they are classic black! There is something about black, no matter what type of clothing or accessory it is; if it’s black, it’s OK to wear anywhere. haha, love black! The cute little Tory Burch symbol by the toes doesn’t hurt either. I have always loved the design of her logo.

Hiking boots for summer

best hiking boots women

The summer season is the driest season here in the San Francisco Bay Area. This means we can go outside more. My family loves going on hikes together; so a sturdy pair of hiking boots is a must-have for the season. This pair offers ankle support, and really good arch support. It is great for rough trails, hills, and steep terrain. I can’t wait to put them to use all summer long!

Also, a good pair of sneakers is a must-have for the summer season. I love the adidas Parley running shoes pictured below. They are really comfortable, and they are made from recycled beach plastics; so they help keep our beaches and oceans clean. Ocean plastic is a huge problem, so it’s nice to know adidas is doing something about it. I will wear these all summer long when I go to the gym, go on long walks, and anytime I need to wear sneakers! Love them!

Shop summer 2019 shoes online:

These are the shoes which will carry me though the summer season, and which fit into the current shoe trends. What are your favorite styles of shoes for summer fun?

Thanks for stopping by!

XOXO
Cathy

recycled sneakers adidas

Sign Hill Park Trail

The South San Francisco “The Industrial City” sign as seen from the street in South San Francisco. The best view of the sign is seen while driving on the freeway.

If you live in the San Francisco Bay Area, you are well aware of the iconic sign embedded in the hillside in south city. The “South San Francisco The Industrial City” sign, is a sign that everyone who lives in, or travels through, the Bay Area, knows quite well. While we all see this sign from the freeway as we pass through south city on our way up to the city, we never really think about hiking up to it.

I had no idea there was a trail there! I always assumed the sign was inaccessible. A few days before Father’s Day, my husband said he wanted to hike up to the sign. We both grew up in the Bay Area; he on the Peninsula, me in Marin, so we both knew the sign well, we just didn’t realize we could hike to it! He had heard recently there was a trail by the sign, and thought it would be fun to go up close. So on Father’s Day, we did exactly that!

The trail which leads up to the iconic south city sign, is named Sign Hill Park. The trail is very local, so it does not attract crowds of people. We were one of three hiking groups on the trail when we arrived at 10:30am; which is a late time to arrive to a hiking trail on a summer day, especially a weekend day.

Finding the trail can be tricky. The trail head is tucked away behind a home on Franklin Ave. in South San Francisco. I felt like I was trespassing in someone’s backyard when we walked behind their fence to find the trail head. In the photo above, you can see the narrow gutter between the trail entrance, and someone’s backyard fence. This is a trail you should not hike on alone, definitely take a buddy with you! It’s a little private and secluded.

There are two trails marked at the top of the stairs when you enter the trail head. If you want to hike up to the iconic South San Francisco, The Industrial City letters embedded in the hillside, you will want to take the Letters Trails. It is a steep, quick hike up to the letters!

Make sure you are wearing good hiking boots, with good treads. The trail is very steep and if your shoes cannot grip the ground, you will find yourself having trouble navigating the trail. Also, watch for snakes! We saw plenty of snake-holes on our way up to the sign. On warm days, the area is known for ticks too, so try to go when it’s foggy, and always do a tick check after your hike.

The letters are huge! Of course they would need to be large to be seen throughout the area, but you really cannot grasp how big they are until you hike up to them. I couldn’t even get one letter to fit inside the frame on my camera!

The biggest reward from this hike is the view. You can see all of south city from the top of the hill, and you can also catch a glimpse of the bay. It’s an incredible view!

My daughters and I had to take a selfie. I mean, were you there if you didn’t take a selfie?

My husband was definitely on top of the world. It was fun being able to see the letters up close. We both have driven past them throughout our lives, so seeing them up close, and touching them, was really fun.

This was a short, but fun hike. Although the sign said 2 miles, it seemed much shorter. The steep climb was a great workout, and the short distance allowed us to add other fun activities to our day; such as grabbing burritos at Papa Joe’s Taqueria in downtown South San Francisco, and then stopping for ice cream as Baskin Robbins in Belmont on our way home.

Shop my hiking outfit:

If you are local to the Bay Area, this is a hike you have to try at least once in your life. You know the sign, why not hike up to it! You can find the trail head at 43 Franklin Ave, in South San Francisco. I recommend parking on the cross street since the trail head is on a dead-end street.

Have you ever hiked on Sign Hill Park trail? If so, what did you think?

Thanks for stopping by!

XOXO

Cathy

Chanel nail polish summer 2019 review

Chanel summer 2019 nail polish review

chanel summer 2019 nail polish review

Chanel nail polish summer 2019 collection from top left: Chanel Radiant Verde nail polish (this one is my favorite!) / Chanel Radiant Blue nail polish ( also love this one!) / Chanel Radiant Red nail polish (cool twist on a classic cherry red) / Chanel Radiant Ballerina nail polish (perfect neutral) / Chanel Radiant Rouge Noir nail polish (twist on vamp) / Chanel Radiant Arancio nail polish (fun summer hue!)

I’m so excited about the Chanel nail polish summer 2019 nail polish collection! Normally Chanel releases anywhere from two to four colors for any given season, but for summer 2019, they are giving us six colors! It’s a nail polish buffet, and it is so hard to choose which one to wear! They are all fabulous hues!

The Chanel summer 2019 nail polish collection offers something for everyone. There are two oceanic hues to choose from; Radiant Verde, and Radiant Blue. They are both beautiful colors, and offer a little bit of metallic sparkle; which looks amazing in the sun! There is also a really pretty, neutral hue named Radiant Ballerina. This is a sweet golden blush which is a great daily hue. If you are more of a fire girl, Chanel is taking care of you this summer season! Radiant Red, Radiant Rouge Noir, and Radiant Arancio will keep your nails on fire all summer long. These are some fun colors!

All six of Chanel’s summer 2019 nail polish colors offer sparkle and a soft metallic finish. They all catch the sun and sparkle when you are outside. It will be fun this summer to wear a different color every few days to mix things up. So, without further ado, here are photos of what each color looks like on!

Chanel Radiant Verde nail polish summer 2019

chanel radiant verde nail polish summer 2019

This is my favorite color from the Chanel nail polish summer 2019 collection. Radiant Verde by Chanel is a sparkling, dark sea green which so pretty and fun for the summer months! It is an easy color to wear with this summer’s color palette, and it looks fabulous with beachwear, and poolside. I am pretty sure this will be the color I wear most often this summer season!

Chanel Radiant Blue nail polish summer 2019

chanel radiant blue nail polish summer 2019 review

How pretty is this blue! Apologies for the bad paint job, I polished my nails before dinner and I think I may have been rushing. It’s a little uneven. Hopefully you can still find this photo useful in determining the hue. It’s a dark blue which offers sparkle-I love sparkle! This is my second favorite color. I love blue, and this is a beautiful one! Chanel Radiant Blue nail polish will be perfect for the 4th of July, and many summer days when I want blue nails; and I tend to want blue nails often. If you are a blue fan too, this is the color for you!

Chanel Radiant Red nail polish summer 2019

chanel radiant red nail polish summer 2019 review

Are you a classic, cherry red girl? Then Chanel Radiant Red nail polish for summer 2019 is for you! This is a flirty, sparkling cherry red polish which is fun to wear, and offers a little twist on classic cherry red nail polish. It’s a really pretty color!

Chanel Radiant Rouge Noir nail polish summer 2019

chanel radiant rouge noir nail polish summer 2019 review

Chanel Radiant Rouge Noir nail polish is the new Vamp. If you flocked to the beauty counters in the 1990s, desperately seeking Vamp, and then felt energized when it re-emerged a couple of years ago, then this is your nail polish hue for summer 2019! Radiant Rouge Noir by Chanel is a fabulous, dark red nail polish which is vamp with a twist. The sparkles are the twist 😉 Love!

Chanel Radiant Ballerina nail polish summer 2019

chanel radiant ballerina nail polish summer 2019

If you are looking for the ideal neutral nail polish to carry you through the summer 2019 season, then this is it! Chanel Radiant Ballerina is a golden, sparkling blush nail polish hue which adds a little bit of edge to an otherwise sweet nail color. I love the little bit of golden sparkle within this polish. It is also a great color to wear while traveling this summer. If you plan to be away from home for more than six days, your nails will start to grow, or chip a little bit. This color won’t show one week growth, or small chips. It’s a great color to wear when you don’t have to time to re-paint! Love that!

Chanel Radiant Arancio nail polish summer 2019

chanel radiant arancio nail polish summer 2019 review

Chanel Radiant Arancio nail polish for summer 2019 is a fiery orange hue. If you like bold color, this is the nail polish for you! It’s a bright, sparkling orange hue which is sure to capture attention this summer season. I think this will be a fun color to wear on toes if you are little bit understated like I am. If you are bold, then put this on your fingernails and make the world see you! This is the attention grabbing hue of the season!

I tested all six Chanel summer 2019 nail polish colors with one base coat, and two coats of color. Like all Chanel polishes, they are chip resistant and go on evenly. None of these colors clump or streak; they all apply evenly. Love that!

Shop the Chanel nail polish summer 2019 collection online:

What do you think of the six Chanel summer 2019 nail polish hues? Which one is your favorite?

Thanks for stopping by!

XOXO
Cathy

chanel nail polish summer 2019 collection review