Fashion

Holiday Photoshoot

I can’t believe it’s already December. Time really does fly when you’re having fun. We are getting ready for our first Christmas with Carlota and there hasn’t been a dull moment. I decided this was the year I was going to start sending Holiday cards to family and friends. I know I’m totally late on that bandwagon but its better late than never. We had our photoshoot on the beach….because why not when you live in LA. No winter wonderland backdrops for us here.

This Christmas we will be heading to Spain to visit family. I’m so excited and I can’t believe we are going in just a few short weeks. This will be a long flight for Carlota, but thankfully our recent trip to NYC will help make us better prepared. On our last flight there was a family with a baby sitting right in front of us. They were baby traveling experts and had all these snacks and teething crackers and opened our eyes to that world…..we have never looked back!!

Here are some of my favorite shots from our family photo shoot. What are your plans for the Holidays?

Photos by Laura Goutcher Photography

Dress: Rachel Pally (Similar on sale here and here)

Necklace: Mirina Collections (Use code “withlove20” to get 20% off your purchase)

On Carlota:

Dress: Carters (Similar here,I love these holiday dresses here and here)

Bow: Salt Cities

Happy Thanksgiving

I want to wish everyone a Happy Thanksgiving. This is my favorite holiday. I love how it’s all about family, friends and good food. Not to mention it commences the start of the Christmas season. Something about this time of year….full of so much love. This year is even more special since it will be Carlota’s first. As much as she may not remember these moments, I’m keeping them all imprinted in my head and cherishing every second.

Today’s look was from our trip to NYC. We were lucky to have perfect weather. I kept my look simple as usual with all black but added this vest to add texture and color. I love an army green coat or vest. They go with everything and give a perfect pop of color. This vest was a recent purchase from Anthropology so be sure to pop into one of their stores for their Black Friday Sales.

I hope all my American readers are having a Happy Thanksgiving!!

Vest: Anthrhopologie (Similar and on sale here and here) //

Hat: Lack of Colors //

Top: Zara (Currently everything is 30% off) //

Pants: J Brand (On Sale here and here) //

Boots: Chloe (Similar here, here and here) //

A day on the pier!!

I’m looking forward to the days of going on the rollercoaster and sharing an ice cream with my babe. As of now I get to just watch her as she’s taking in all of her surroundings, exploring the world and seeing everything for the first time. Its crazy how alert she has become these past few months. If only I knew what she was thinking. We rarely go to the pier, and when we do, we find mostly tourists and children around there. I do imagine that when Carlota is walking and talking, the ferris wheel and Merry-go-round will be our weekly destinations.

My style is 90% casual and I love adding accessories to make my look pop. With this sweater, the sequin details do the popping for itself. No need to accessorize. These details also make it that perfect piece that can be worn from day to night. I added the jeweled pumps for extra sparkle to compliment the shoulder detail of the sweater.

The rips and light colored denim give this look a daytime casual vibe. Changing for a date night, I would trade the skinny jeans for a midi skirt and tuck it in to accentuate the waist. Date nights with the hubby are scarce these days but lets hope as Carlota gets older we start getting back on that track. For now I’ll stick to rocking sequence during my daily outings.

I hope you have a wonderful weekend. I’m really looking forward to our first Thanksgiving with Carlota. So much to be thankful for.

Sweater: J Crew on major sale with an extra %30 off with code SHOPNOW //

Jeans: 7 For All Mankind (similar here) //

Heels: Louboutin (Similar here very cool here) //

Clutch: Clare V (Similar less expensive here) //

Our New York Adventures + GIVEAWAY

Fall in the city is my favorite, and it was just as magical as I remembered it. The weather couldn’t have been better and it was perfect for exploring the city with Carlota. My husband and I were nervous about our first flight with her. Would we be that couple with the baby that won’t stop crying?! Not to mention….how many bags would we need to take with us for a 4 day trip? Do we bring our large stroller….get an umbrella stroller….the list went on and on. We knew we needed to pack as light as we could but also be able to walk around the city with everything we needed for Carlota. We packed her diaper bag with only the essentials, brought our Bugaboo stroller and Ergo Carrier, and it was the perfect option for us. Thank goodness she was a perfect angel on the flight. She slept for take off and landing and was happy for most of the trip. She gets a little fussy when we sit down with her for too long so a couple of trips along the isles were the magic touch.

We walked all over Manhattan and even ventured to the underground for her first Subway ride. The New York subway line is not really made for strollers and babies, but we managed. I’d have to say Carlota’s favorite was Central Park. We put her in the leaves for photos and she was having so much fun playing and eating them. I enjoyed exploring and walking around the city with my family.

I loved being able to wear my boots and fall layers without needing to be bundled up. Thankfully we brought the cooler weather back to LA. What are your favorite places to visit in the city?

Jacket: All Saints (Similar here and here) //

Tee: Brandy Melville (Similar here and here) //

Jeans: J Brand //

Boots: Stuart Weitzman (Less expensive here and here) //

Carlota

Vest: Gap on sale //

Shirt: Carters (Similar here) //

Jacket: All Saints (Similar here and here) //

Sweater: J Crew (Similar here and here) //

Shirt: Equipment old (Similar here and here) //

Jeans: 7 for All Mankind //

Boots: Stuart Weitzman (Less expensive here and here) //

The Ultimate Designer Giveaway

A group of bloggers and I have teamed up to bring you a fabulous giveaway you can’t resist! We’re giving one precious follower a gift package consisting of a gold Ipad Mini, authentic Tory Burch tall boots, a luxury Coach handbag and scarf, all valued at approximately $1,815 (before taxes! By following as many bloggers as you want on the Gleam widget below, you will have better chances of winning! There are 129 ways to enter. Good luck lovelies!

The Ultimate Designer Giveaway

A New York Minute

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Tomorrow we are off to New York City!! I love the East Coast in the Fall and NYC is one of my favorite cities to visit. I love walking around all day taking in all the hustle and bustle. This will be our first time flying with Carlota and I’m excited and nervous at the same time. We’ll be traveling to Spain for the holidays so this will be good practice for that lengthy flight. Do any of you mamas have any tips or tricks for traveling with a 7 month old? I’m worried about how many things we will need to pack and travel with. Days of only a carry-on are long gone.

The warmer LA weather called for white jeans and a stripped tank this past weekend. I’m looking forward to sweater and layering weather since it’s been 80 degrees in LA these past few weeks. I’ll finally be able to pull out some of my fall looks.

This New York trip will be very different from my previous visits there, but I’m sure it will be very special. If you have any recommendations please share!!

Tank: LF (Similar here, here and here) //

Jeans: J Brand (Similar here and here) //

Sports Bra: Lululemon (Similar here)//

Sun Glasses: Oliver Peoples //

Espadrilles: Chanel (Similar here, here and here) //

Our first visit to the Pumpkin Patch

Holiday season is officially commencing…..first up, Halloween!! We were so excited to take Carlota to her first pumpkin patch. We went to Mr. Bones Pumpkin Patch and if you’re in the LA area I recommend you go. Although she isn’t old enough to run around, get her face painted or play on the inflatable bouncy houses; she was pretty happy sitting by the pumpkins and eating hay. It’s the little things!!! Sharing these memories with her are priceless, and I know they are just going to get better as the years progress. Watching her experience things for the first time are some of the best joys of motherhood. She was wide eyed the entire time and soaking it all in. I hope this will be one family tradition we continue throughout the years.

We found Carlota’s jumper from the Gap (on sale) and knew this was the perfect outfit for the patch. I love finding cute seasonal outfits for the babe. Since she won’t get to wear them very much, I always wait until they are on sale…..because once it’s a few days away from the holiday they always go on sale.

We just had a cute Halloween shoot with Carlota and Pinxo and I can’t wait to share that with you later this week. I love getting in the spirit with her.

On Carlota:

Jumper: Gap (other seasonal here, here and here) //

On Me:

Tank: Banana Republic on sale (Similar here on sale) Use code BRSALE to receive an extra 50%off //

Jeans: 7 For All Mankind (Similar here) //

Hat: Anthropologie (I also love this and this) //

Boots: Anine Bing //

Shop the Mint – Giveaway

While a majority of you may be enjoying the crisp air and the warm charming colors of fall, here in LA we are embracing the beautiful sunshine on the beach. As much as I wish it was a little cooler, I really can’t complain. I love my days spent with the babe. Mondays are Mommy and Carlota time and they are my favorite. We run on our own schedule and always seem to be on the go. I cherish these little moments we have together.

I’m going to take full advantage of matching outfits while I still can. Before you know it, she’ll be dressing herself and matching with her mama will be the last thing she’ll want to do. Today was all about stripes. I love a good stripped tee, and think I own a handful in my closet. Such a perfect layering piece. When I saw this dress at Mint Julep Boutique I knew it would be a perfect staple in my closet. Chic yet simple….my style moto.

I’m excited to have teamed up with The Mint Julep Boutique to give one of my readers a $25 gift card to their store. If you subscribe to their mailing list you get an additional $10 off your purchase. They have really great pieces at reasonable prices. You can get my dress and the others I linked for less than $10 if you win.

On Carlota:

Dress: Batela (Similar here, here, here and here) //

Shoes: Freshly picked (love these) //

Dress: The Mint Julep Boutique (Similar here and here) //

Boots: Stuart Weitzman (Similar and less expensive here, here and here) //

Hat: Lack of Colors (Similar and on sale here) //

Rules to enter the Giveaway:

1) Comment below and let me know what is your favorite closet staple.

2) For an additional entry you can follow my blog by email or on bloglovin etc.. let me know in your comment that you have done that

3) For a 3rd entry follow me @withloveandrea and @shopthemint on Instagram and follow the instructions posted there.

Your chance to enter starts today October 24th and will close Wednesday October 28th at midnight PST.

GOOD LUCK TO EVERYONE

24 hours are just not enough

I’m starting this blog post on my sofa at 7 am, pumping and getting ready for my workday. It seems this may be the best or only time this week to work on a post. My days are slowly melting into weeks and before I know it, it’s a new month. Evenings of relaxing, watching TV, and catching up on blog posts are a thing of the past. Carlota has started a phase where all she wants is to be in mommy’s arms. Sitting beside me playing is not enough. As much as I long for some more “me time” , I’m going to cherish these precious moments. Before you know it, miss independent will want nothing to do with me and I will reminisce on these days.

This post is all about my favorite neutrals white and pink. I can’t get enough. With October being Breast Cancer awareness month, I can’t think of a more appropriate color. I have an obsession with white jeans lately and these J brands are my favorite. They are stretchy and soft and fit in all the right places. I love the knee rips and ankle cut off. Showing a little ankle can help add a little length to your legs. Just add a pair of rocking heels and you are set.

These rockstuds have been all the rage on Instagram the past couple of years and don’t seem to be going anywhere anytime soon. With their gunmetal pyramid stud detailing they make a statement with any simple look. For 4 1/4 inch heels, they are surprisingly comfortable. They have quickly become my favorite heel.

Two pumping sessions later, I think I have finally finished my first blog post in October. When did 24 hours a day become not enough?

Jeans: J Brand (Also here, in pink here) //

Shirt: Gap (On Sale here, here) //

Jacket: BB Dakota (Similar here and here) //

Heels: Valentino (More affordable option here)

Boho chic

California is all about that Boho vibe. The weather, the palm trees, the surfers and their laid back attitude. Then there’s Coachella. That time of year in Indio, California where the epitome of California fashion has its own catwalk on the polo fields. The festival is equal parts music and fashion. Most likely the inspiration for this style is a combination of all of the above.

Even the queen of blogging herself, Italian beauty Chiara Ferragni has adopted this style since moving to LA. The Italian fashion blogger from The Blonde Salad has changed her high fashion ways for crop tops and vintage high-waisted denim shorts. Of course when she attends Paris and Milan fashion weeks she is all decked out in European high fashion but her everyday style is definitely that 70’s California vibe.

Moving to LA from the East Coast I had a lot to learn. My style is definitely not bohemian but I am starting to embrace the California way. This dress was a perfect mix for me. Being a new mom crop tops, short shorts, and fringe skirts just don’t seem as appropriate for me these days. Rather than being discouraged, I look for items that incorporate the trends but suit my personal style as well.

Time to enjoy that beautiful California sunshine!! I hope you have a wonderful weekend!!

Dress: Free People (Similar here) //

Hat: Revolve Clothing (Similar here and here) //

Stroller: Bugaboo (Canopy) //

Off the shoulder

The off the shoulder trend has been all the rage this summer. There is just something so feminine about showing your decollete and shoulders. When I saw this denim ruffle off the shoulder dress I knew this was how I wanted to rock this trend. With my changing postpartum body this dress finds the right areas to emphasize. I am slowly learning to be more comfortable and confident in my new skin. Choosing the right style, cut and fit for your figure is so important. Most women have areas of their body they are more confident with and finding clothing that flaunts those areas are keys to successful dressing.

I added my favorite pop of blue with my accessories. This clutch and these espadrilles have been on major repeat this summer. I find that warmer weather calls for color and LA has been a scorcher this year.

I just realized, in 2 days With Love Andrea will be a year old. I can’t believe how quickly time has flown. This blog has been such a fun outlet for me and I can’t thank you enough for your support.