outfits


Fall day in Capitola

capitola beach fall 2023
chicken tacos margaritaville capitola

How yummy do those tacos look! They were definitely delicious! Last week I ventured over the hill to have a fabulous lunch with my friend Laura from Have-Need-Want. The weather in Silicon Valley was in the 90’s, so I mistakenly thought it would be much cooler in Laura’s neck of the woods, I was wrong! Yikes! It was 90 degrees in Capitola too! I give “second summer” permission to go away! haha

Despite the warm temperatures, we enjoyed a relaxing lunch at a window seat overlooking the sea at Margaritaville. I hadn’t been there in years, so it was a treat to enjoy their delicious chips and guacamole, as well as tasty tacos. Yum! It was also fabulous to be able to catch up with Laura. In case you are new around here, I met Laura close to ten years ago while attending fashion week in New York. We shared a taxi to a show! Once we entered the taxi, we found out we were both from California and lived roughly a half hour from each other! How fun was that! We became instant friends. Love!

casual fall outfit ideas

wearing: double stud earrings (sold out, also love these) / button tee / black belt / black shoulder bag / navy nail polish / jeans (sold out, similar here) / sneakers /

Since I knew we would be walking around and window shopping after lunch, I wore my comfy sneakers paired with these soft, beige jeans and this fun tee that has buttons on the shoulders. I love an elevated tee! Speaking of elevated tee’s, Laura started a tee-shirt shop in addition to her blog, and handbag business. Check out some of her designs below.

Her tee’s will make amazing gifts this upcoming holiday season. They are also super fun to wear on casual days. I definitely have one coming my way soon! Love them!

louis vuitton hobo bag

Speaking of Laura’s new tee-shirt shop, her resale shop is booming! I am so happy for her business venture! If you are looking for hard to find, designer handbags, check out her shop at HaveNeedWantLuxury.com.

She has a curated collection of designer bags, including Louis Vuitton. That is her Louis Vuitton bag pictured above. I mean, I had to take the opportunity to snap a picture of her bag. You know I love handbags!

All-in-all it was so nice to be able to get away for a few hours and spend some quality time with Laura catching up, window shopping, and enjoying the ocean. Capitola is a really beautiful place, and if you have never been, I highly recommend stopping by for a visit. Love it!

Shop my casual fall outfit online:

What are some of your favorite local spots to relax?

Thanks for stopping by!

XOXO

Cathy

capitola beach fall 2023 pier condition

The football necklace

kendra scott football necklace hard to find

Pictured: Kendra Scott football necklace in gold /

I did it! I got my hands on the famous football necklace by Kendra Scott. This pretty little necklace sells out quickly when it is in stock, so I ended up on a wait list at the Santana Row Kendra Scott store. I am so happy it came in!

As you know, I love football! My son plays football, he is a defensive linebacker, and I love the niners. Also, my oldest daughter attends a big-time football university, and she enjoys going to the games. In addition, both of my husband’s alma maters are huge football schools too. So, our fall weekends are spent either attending football games, or watching them on TV; and yes, we schedule them into our day!

When the football necklace first came out, I decided to wait to purchase it at a fundraiser hosted by Kendra Scott that I knew I would be attending. Of course, by the time the fundraiser came around, the necklace was sold out! Thankfully, Kendra Scott had a wait list and they graciously put me on it. I was thrilled when I got the call that the necklace was back in stock! Yay!

Isn’t it adorable? I cannot wait to wear it on game days! If you are a huge football fan too, don’t wait to buy this necklace, snap one up now! You can find it online here.

its dumpling time santana row
casual street style san jose style over 40

wearing: earrings / button tee / black belt / skinny jeans (would have worn these) / top handle bag / navy nail polish / rose and white sneakers /

Well, I had just returned from parent’s weekend at my daughters’ school when I got the call that the necklace had arrived. Of course, all my up-to-date jeans were in the laundry basket! So, here I am in skinny jeans. Please don’t laugh, I know they are way out of style, but at least they are clean! haha

This button tee is turning into my current go-to top for fall. Since temperatures are refusing to be fall-like, a short sleeve tee in a fall hue is the perfect top to wear right now. I might go back and snap one up in black too. Love!

After snapping the obligatory photo in front of the famous Santana Row “the wall,” my mom and I enjoyed lunch at It’s Dumpling Time. I was on a high from picking up my football necklace, so lunch was even more special. They have amazing XLB dumplings, shu mai, and pot stickers. Definitely stop in for some dumplings when you shop on “The Row!”

Lastly, we wandered into Madewell and I was so impressed! I need to pop back in and try on some jeans, but in the meantime, I am drooling over this beautiful tote bag! The leather is really nice and I love the texture. It looks like a fabulous daytime tote bag. Love it!

Shop my casual fall outfit online, I included non-skinny jeans too:

Do you love football too? Be sure to snap up this necklace before it is gone! Good luck to your team, but I know my teams will win! haha

Thanks for stopping by!

XOXO
Cathy

madewell tote bag

Toteme T Lock bag review

Pictured: Toteme T Lock bag / fall nail polish /

Can a handbag be both an IT bag and an investment bag? Yes! Yes it can! The Toteme T Lock bag has all of the qualities of a trending IT bag, as well as an investment purchase to love a lifetime.

Toteme has been for around for almost a decade, but their handbag collection is barely a year old. This doesn’t mean it lacks longevity, quite the opposite. The brand stands for high quality, eco-conscious materials and manufacturing, as well as creating items which transcend trends. For their T Lock bag to launch and immediately become an IT bag, could be contradictory to what the brand stands for, but that doesn’t make it confusing.

The reason this beautiful handbag is so highly sought-after, is because of what it stands for. Consumers want eco-conscious brands, in fact, they hunger for them! Not only that, timeless styles coupled with high quality fabrications and craftsmanship, creates an equation that equals success. This is exactly what makes both an IT bag and an investment bag. Love this!

The T Lock bag by Toteme is not only high functioning and styled beautifully, but also versatile. This quiet and luxurious handbag can be both a satchel and a shoulder bag. It is versatile and can be worn to suit one’s mood, outfit, and lifestyle. Love this!

wearing: hoop earrings / stripe tee / handbag / fall nail polish / black belt / flare jeans / black boots /

In addition to being able to wear the Toteme T Lock bag as both a top handle bag and a shoulder bag, it is roomy and strong. I wanted a bag slightly larger than the small shoulder bags I have been carrying for the last year.

This roomy handbag suits the need for more space as we head into colder months. As you can see below, there is extra room on top of my purse essentials where I can place a pair of warm gloves and a thin scarf.

The interior of the Toteme T Lock bag offers slip pockets where you can store credit cards, receipts, or other slim items. I have not used the pockets, but it is nice to know they are there if I need them.

The shoulder strap can also be stored inside the handbag when being worn as a top handle bag in case you want to quickly convert it into a shoulder bag and free up your hands. The loops are inside the bag, and the strap has easy to snap on hardware. I have found I prefer wearing it as a shoulder bag, so as of right now, I am keeping the strap intact.

The Toteme T Lock bag has a signature T Lock which twists to allow the lock to open. After the first time wearing the bag, I got the hang of the lock and find it easy to maneuver. The top handle is right there when you reach inside the bag, but if you slip your hand in front of it when reaching inside, the top handle isn’t the nuisance it might appear to be in photos. Therefore, getting in and out of the bag earns an A- grade from me.

There are two sizes, or should I say versions, of the Toteme T Lock bag. The one I am reviewing is the regular sized bag which comes with a top handle and detachable shoulder strap. The other version is smaller and named a clutch. The smaller version can be worn as a clutch or a shoulder bag. I prefer the larger size since the top handle is more useful to me than holding a bag as a clutch, plus, I like having a roomy bag in addition to my current line-up of small shoulder bags.

This is a difficult bag to find! I have linked up the Toteme T Lock in stock around the web, so hopefully when you read this and click the link you will find the bag in stock. If not, you can sign up for the wait list, and in some cases, pre-order the bag.

Lastly, I love the design of the Toteme T Lock handbag. It doesn’t have any loud logos and just showcases high quality and craftsmanship. Although a current IT bag, it transcends trends and has the markings of an investment bag to cherish for generations.

Thanks for stopping by!

XOXO

Cathy