winter 2016

Favorite skirt of the season

 in Bay Area Fashion / General Fashion  tagged givenchy / jcrew / outfits / sweaters / winter 2016 by

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Pictured: Sunglasses: Chanel / Earrings: Kendra Scott / Lipstick: Chanel Mighty / Necklace: Kendra Scott / Sweater: White + Warren (so soft and comfy, love!!!) (last seen here) (less expensive option here) / Skirt: JCrew (last seen here) (also love this one and this one, more at the bottom of this post) / Handbag: Givenchy / Ring: Beau Bijou / Nail Polish: Dior Lilac / Shoes: Prada (sold out, also love this pair and this pair)

Have you ever had a piece in your closet you find yourself reaching for over, and over again? That is this skirt for me! I purchased this skirt for fall near the end of summer vacation after I instantly fell in love with it when I saw it in the JCrew catalog for fall; so I jumped up and ordered it!

I have been styling it with different tops since late summer. When I first got the skirt, I was pairing it with basic tee-shirts, and tops, so that I could wear it during the awful heat we experienced in late summer, and early fall. When our weather finally cooled off, I started to pair it with light sweaters, and now heavier ones, such as the turtleneck sweater I wore it with last Sunday; shown above.

In this outfit, I mixed last year’s color of the year, Marsala, with one of this year’s colors, pale blue or “Serenity,” because I think they look pretty together. I love Serenity for 2016, any shade of light blue is beautiful; and easy to mix so many other types of colors!

I am looking forward to continuing to style this skirt into the new year; and pairing shades of blue with other colors in the new year too!

My beautiful nine-year-old daughter took these photos after church on Sunday. I think she did a pretty good job! She is learning her way around a DSLR camera, and really enjoys photography. It seems like a natural hobby for someone who wants to be fashion designer, an interior decorator, and an automobile designer when she grows up! With three careers, she will be quite busy 😉

Do you have any pieces in your closet this season you feel like you are reaching for all the time? If so, what are they?

Laser cut skirts:

Outfit details:

Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk in the winter

 in Bay Area Fashion / General Fashion  tagged banana republic / casual style / lifestyle / outfits / tory burch / winter 2016 by

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Outfit: Sunglasses: Chanel / Earrings: c/o Laurel Burch / Lipstick: Chanel Mighty / Sweater: Banana Republic / Ring: Kendra Scott / Nail Polish: Chanel Sunrise Trip / Handbag: Tory Burch (on sale!!) / Jeans: Gap / Shoes: Rag & Bone (sold out, also love this pair and this pair)

Over Christmas break, we took the kids to the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk. Winter is a great time to go to the Boardwalk because there are less crowds, significantly lower lines, and you can really maximize your day; since you are not spending it in long lines!

The Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk in winter has reduced hours, and not all of the rides are open. On the day we went, the Boardwalk was open from 12pm-5pm. We arrived at noon and stayed until about 5:15pm. It was a full day, and loads of fun!  There were about twelve rides open, so in addition to going on rides, we played mini golf, and a few carnival games.

The food at the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk is always fun too. Can you believe the potato on a stick my daughter is holding in the photo above?! It was like potato chips on a stick, but fresh! They make the potato on a stick right there in front of you, so you can see it is fresh; and I would like to think it is healthier than potato chips from a bag at the super market. The kids also ate french fries; and I enjoyed a delicious hot cocoa made from Ghirardelli Chocolate, yum!

The favorite ride of the day for my kids were the bumper cars. I think they went back on the ride close to ten times! There were a lot of people riding the bumper cars, yet there wasn’t a line, so it was easy to keep going back on the same ride. It was the perfect amount of people!

If you are interested in heading down to the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk in winter, be sure to call first and see how many rides are open. You will also want to check the hours. They do offer a reduced daily rate during the winter, which is nice.

What are some places you like to go to in the winter because there is less of crowd than in the summer?

Daytime ballet performance in San Francisco outfit

 in Bay Area Fashion / General Fashion  tagged banana republic / outfits / winter 2016 by

daytime ballet outfit in san francisconavy outfit

Pictured: Sunglasses: Chanel / Lipstick: Chanel Mighty / Earrings: Kendra Scott / Sweater: Banana Republic (on sale and tons of colors!!!) / Skirt: Theory (old, also love this one and it’s on sale!!!) / Handbag: Givenchy (similar version for less here) / Ring: Kendra Scott / Nail Polish: Chanel Sunrise Trip / Shoes: Prada

Over the Christmas break, we took the kids to a daytime performance of the Nutcracker at the San Francisco Ballet. It was the first time we brought our children to the ballet in San Francisco at the War Memorial Opera House. We have taken them to the ballet in San Jose, which is a shorter performance, but this was their first time seeing the longer, more serious version of the Nutcracker; and they loved it!

We were really afraid the performance would be too long for them, bu they lasted through it! The San Francisco Ballet catered to kids for the daytime performance of the Nutcracker. They gave my son a seat cushion to add to his seat which elevated him; allowing him to see the stage without having to worry about the big head sitting in front of him. The seat cushions were a life-saver for all the kids who attended. Who wants a big head blocking the stage?

When we arrived, our children were given small, stuffed bears while our tickets were scanned. They were thrilled! My kids love stuffed animals, and they hugged them throughout the performance. This was such a nice touch!

If you have never been to the War Memorial Opera House in San Francisco, it is an historic building which reeks of history, and architectural beauty. Our kids were amazed at the beauty of the building, and the ornate decor. They definitely want to go back!

I was excited to wear this cozy sweater at the daytime performance of the Nutcracker. It is really warm, and plays well with both skirts and jeans. I love how it can be worn casual, or dressed up for occasions such as the ballet during the day! If you are looking for a turtleneck sweater, this is the one you have been looking for. It comes in several colors, it is comfortable, cozy, versatile, and on sale! Love that!

Thank you for stopping by, and don’t forget to take my reader survey online here! I would love to hear what type of content you would like more of in  the new year. Also, by completing the survey, you will be entered into a drawing to win a $50 gift card to Nordstrom! Thank you for your time, and stay fabulous!