Author: With Love... Andrea

Dentist by day...Fashion enthusiast by night. Canadian living in ☀ LA....I ❤my baby girl Carlota, Boston Terrier, staying healthy, & living life

Nights like these

Shirt: James Perce (Similar here) Jeans: 7 of mankind (Similar here and here) Hat: Bailey for J Crew Sweater: Vintage

Life is always so busy and hectic that we sometimes forget to just sit and breathe. Last weekend my husband and I did just that. We had no specific plans but to enjoy each others company and beautiful mother nature. I rarely get the time to just sit and watch the sun setting, this was one of those nights.

I decided to wear jeans and a cardigan because once the sun sets I get pretty cold. I love wearing simple, comfortable clothing. Maybe this is because California style has grown on me, or maybe because I just don’t feel at ease when I’m trying so hard with my fashion. I think women are at their sexiest when they feel comfortable in their outfits. Some women thrive in fancy and elegant looks, while others look amazing in California cool. One of my inspirations of this is Sincerely Jules. Most of the time she has a laid back look with sneakers and yet I always find her so chic, fashionable and sexy.

It is important to determine what your style is and work with it. There is no point dressing in whatever is trendy at the time if you don’t feel comfortable in it. This has taken me some time to figure out but I think I have finally found my style and groove.

With Love…..

ANDREA

The little gray dress

Dress: Banana Republic (Also in Back) Earrings: Bauble Bar old (Similar here and here) Heels: Zara (also love them in black)

I am almost 16 weeks pregnant and its starting to get harder to fit into my clothes. I am learning to find what flatters my ever changing figure and enlarging belly. At this stage I don’t have an obvious baby bump but my body is developing and growing. This dress is one of the items I have recently picked up from Banana Republic. As I had mentioned in my previous blog post…I am loving the new BR and am so excited they have updated their style. (You can read more about it here, and see some of my favorite items).

Every girl has a little black dress in her wardrobe as a staple and it goes with everything. If you are going out and don’t know what to wear you can always fall back on that LBD (little black dress). On the hunt for a cute maternity friendly dress, I opted for the gray option. With fall in the air I felt like the gray was a perfect fit. The ruching on the dress is strategically placed to flatter every figure (even my growing bump.) The dress is very simple and can be dressed up or down depending when you want to wear it. During the day, just add a scarf, booties and simple accessories and you are ready to go. For an evening out I paired it with statement earrings and these laser cut booties for an edgier look.

As soon as I laid eyes on these heeled open toed booties I knew I had to have them. I am such a fan of burgundy this season. I think the color is so rich and beautiful. I think a bold shoe can add to a simple outfit just as much as a statement piece of jewelry. I am more of a minimalist when it comes to jewelry so I try to find other accessories to add something special to my outfits. When I feel like I need to enhance my look, I add a scarf, jacket or use my shoes to do the trick.

With Love….

ANDREA

Bacara Resort & Spa – Santa Barbara

My husband and I just celebrated our 2 year Wedding Anniversary this past weekend. I can’t believe how quickly time flies. These past two years have been so amazing and we have become so much closer. This next year we will have our first baby and this will be such a joyous change to our lives. We can’t wait.

For the past two years we have decided to celebrate our Anniversary at the Bacara Resort & Spa in Santa Barbara. Its only an hour and a half away but it feels like a paradise weekend for us. “Nestled on the bluff and beaches of the Gaviota coast between the Pacific Ocean and Santa Ynez Mountains, Bacara Resort & Spa offers relaxed luxury and stunning natural beauty for an unforgettable getaway in Southern California.” The resort has everything you could ask for. An amazing Spa, a beautiful pool, nature walks, fitness classes and the most beautiful dog friendly beach! If you are an avid golfer, they have a course right next to the hotel.

The sunsets are so spectacular and have become one of the main attractions of the resort. We both agree that the most breath taking sunsets we have seen have been on their beachfront. The colors of the sky and water are just magical, and my pictures don’t even do them justice. The only event we have planned when we go, are the sunsets on the beach!

Note: None of these sunset photos have filters….thats how magical the sunsets are!!

Downtown Santa Barbara is very close and such a cute city with so much to see. Not to mention there are many vineyards so a wine tasting tour is always a favorite of ours. This weekend we exclusively stayed at the resort and made it a full relaxation weekend. With the weather in the nineties who wouldn’t want to lay by the pool and catch some sun. I highly recommend you visit this resort if you are ever in the area.

With Love…..

ANDREA

Life’s a Beach

Plaid Shirt: Scalpers old (Similar Styles here, here and here)

Shorts: J Brand (Similar here, here and here)

Shoes: Chanel Espadrilles

Glasses: Ray Ban

We are relaxing this weekend at the Bacara Resort and Spa and can’t get enough of the beautiful scenery. As much as I am ready for fall weather, Southern California is just not cooperating. I was happy though that this weekend was in the 90’s since we were spending it by the pool and beach. One last time for a tan before the colder weather comes in.

Our Boston terrier loves the beach and we were so happy to bring him along with us. Most beaches don’t allow dogs but this one does. We spent the morning running along the sand and playing with our little pup. These are always very special memories for me and am so happy to spend them with my family. We can’t wait until our little growing munchkin will be able to join us as well.

With Love….

ANDREA

Crazy for denim

Dress: Gap recent in store (Similar here, here and here) Boots: Rag & Bone (On Sale here and here) Similar here and here

I’m always a big fan of the button down shirt. Most of my wardrobe consists of them, as you will soon see. The bigger and looser they are, the more I am a fan. I love to raid my husbands closet and steal the shirts that he doesn’t wear….or at least I like to think he doesn’t wear. I loved taking his shirts so much that I started to buy my own men’s shirts. I will write about this in another blog post.

When I found out I was pregnant, I soon realized that I needed to update my wardrobe. Thankfully as I mentioned previously my loose-fitting shirts will be good essentials. As I entered into this awkward stage of gaining weight but not yet needing maternity clothes I realized I need some dresses. I have always been a pants girl. I love dresses but I never really wear them. I have recognized that this needs to change, especially during my pregnancy.

Looking for loose-fitting clothing that will be both comfortable and last as the baby bump grows was on my to do list. As soon as I saw this GAP dress I knew it would be perfect. What’s not to love….it’s a large denim button down shirt (a boyfriend shirt on steroids). On top of that it was 40% off. So I had to buy the dark denim with the floral print and the faded plain denim versions.

I decided to wear the dress like a large shirt and paired it with booties for this post. I have also worn it tied with a belt and ballerina flats. When the weather gets colder I will pair them with leggings.

With Love……

ANDREA

Expecting our first child!!

This is such an exciting post for me as the time has come to announce the thrilling news. My husband and I are expecting our first child! We are delighted and nervous all at the same time. I’m currently 14 and a half weeks and feeling good.

The first trimester was pretty easy for me in the morning sickness department. I felt a bit nauseous occasionally but was never real sick. My appetite increased and I felt like I just wanted to eat… and I did! Anything and everything in sight (I lost that filter telling me I was full). I had acid reflux, heart burn and was constantly exhausted. I kept looking online for blogs and websites of other pregnant women sharing their experiences and this motivated me to start my own blog, and share my experiences with you (in addition to my passion for fashion.)

The hardest thing for me so far in the first trimester has been the weight gain and my clothes not fitting. It’s such an awkward stage because you don’t have a bump and it seems a little crazy to purchase maternity clothes, but most of my pants were not fitting. I quickly found the belly band and the belly belt. These were saviors for me. I also realized that now is the time to update my wardrobe and start wearing more dresses. You will read about that in my next blog post!

Thank you for sharing during this exciting time with me. I look forward to posting my maternity wardrobe and exciting updates and information I get along the way.

With Love….

ANDREA

The Colors of fall

Graphic Tee: F21 old (Similar here, here and here) Jeans: Current Elliot old (Similar here and here) Jacket: Bloomingdales Theory old (Similar here, here and here) Scarf: Coach outlet old (Similar here, here, here and here) Shoes: Chanel Espadrilles Bag: Louis Vuitton Neverfull

Living in Los Angeles is a dream come true. There is the beach, mountains, fabulous weather…what more can you ask for. The two things I miss most about my home in Toronto is my Family and fall. I love that time of year when the leaves are changing and the air is crisp. We don’t really get this in Los Angeles. I went home this past weekend to visit with my family. It was a quick trip for my cousins wedding. I was looking forward to sweater weather, since we have been having a heat wave in LA. It was pretty hot in Toronto but thankfully the leaves were already starting to change color. My family and I went for a night out on Main Street in Unionville. Such a cute place to visit, especially this time of year.

I kept my look simple with a graphic tee and jeans, but added some layers with a scarf and jacket.

With Love…

ANDREA

Bananas for the New Banana Republic

Over the past year of Instagramming, I have observed that most of my Insta Fashionistas LOVE J Crew and Madewell but there is little love for Banana Republic. With all the 30% and 40% off sales why isn’t it more popular? I have always loved the classic mens V-neck sweater and have had this as a staple in my wardrobe for years. Other than that, over the past couple of years I noticed that I as well have not been shopping at Banana Republic much either.

The past few times that I have gone into the store I fell in love with multiple pieces. I was so excited because I realized this is #thenewBR. I knew about the Marissa Webb takeover as creative director, and was excited to see what she was going to do.

Marissa Webb served as J Crew’s head designer for longer than a decade. She decided to start her own line in Spring 2013 and it has been growing ever since. She is still working on her own line and April 28th of this year she started working hard to help transform Banana Republics image. Its only been a few months and I can already see the change.

Sweater: Banana Republic Shorts: Piperlime (Rag & Bone) Boots: Anine Bing Bag: Celine

Note: This sweater was purchased in store last weekend but I can’t find the link online. It should still be at stores near you

Shirt & Tee : Banana Republic Jeans: Express (no longer available) Purse: See by Chloe

Note: The denim shirt and tee were purchased in store last weekend but I can’t find the link online. It should still be at stores near you. I don’t understand why they only put half of their merchandise online, and it seems like all my picks are only available in stores.

I know much of the fall and winter line has still to come out, but here are a few pieces that stood out to me while I was in there this past weekend. I suggest you stop over to your nearest Banana and take a look for yourself!!

With Love….

ANDREA

All about Stripes

Shirt: Banana Republic Shorts: Piperlime (Rag & Bone) Hat: J Crew Boots: Anine Bing Bag: Celine Glasses: Bloomingdales (Chanel)

I’m a firm believer and patron of the simple look. Of course I love a good statement necklace, or extravagant pattern mixing but I must say my go-to look is always simple yet chic. (At least I like to think so!!) Today in LA we were back to summer weather, so I had to keep cool whilst adding some Fall accessories. I opted for the perfect little bootie and hat to add a little autumn into my summer vibe. The ankle boot was a staple last year and will also be this year so if you don’t already own a pair I suggest you give them a try. These Anine Bing boots have been my favorites all last season. They are pricey but were my investment piece last season, and I’m so happy I took the plunge. You can find many affordable ankle boots that look just as stylish as these in every price range.

Distressed denim and stripes are the perfect combo. I feel the boyfriend jean shorts give a little edge to the look, while the stripes add some flare to a simple jersey shirt.

I just bought this Banana Republic shirt and its perfect. Has anyone else noticed the change in Banana? I’m so happy with the addition of Marissa Webb as Creative Director. She has kept their sophisticated business look but has incorporated a younger hip vibe. My next blog post will be about the New Banana Republic so be sure to check it out. I opted for a Large size as I wanted something loose and flowing. The link I posted is for a similar stripped shirt as I don’t see this exact shirt online. It most likely is still in stores as I had just purchased it this past weekend.

With Love…

ANDREA

Fall for Plaid!!

Shirt: Equipment Jeans: 7 For all mankind Boots: Rag & Bone Purse: Celine Glasses: Bloomingdales (Tom Ford)

There are only a couple days left until its officially fall and I can’t wait. As I had mentioned in my previous post Fall is my favorite season. I get excited when its time to wear layers, boots, sweaters, plaid and scarfs. The fashion isn’t the only part of Fall I love. I love the fresh crisp air, the cool breeze, the leaves changing color, the scents of apple and pumpkin looming everywhere, and best of all Thanksgiving. This morning in LA fall was in the air and I was so excited to pull out some of my Fall favorites for this season. Next week we are expecting another heat wave so I had one day to take full advantage.

All items are last season but since they are all classic pieces they have similar items this season. I have linked up a few of the items for you.

Equiptment Fr is my favorite brand for silk shirts. You will notice in future blog posts that I wear them a lot. I have noticed that the older I get the more classic my wardrobe has become. I seem to flock to less trendy pieces and instead look for more timeless numbers. Equipment shirts do have many patterns that are very cool and keep them modern at the same time.

Rag & Bone Newbury boot is a staple of theirs. I had been eyeing this boot for a while but I had already bought new expensive boots last season and couldn’t justify another pair. When they had their end of the season sale and the boots were 50% off I couldn’t resist. (I love a good deal, especially with something I’ve had my eye on.) I will link this seasons colors and they have the canvas in camel from pre fall which is on sale at the moment. The traditional colors of black and dark brown are not colors that go on sale (in case you were wondering). I was told this when I bought mine in the spring.

With Love…

ANDREA