Fashion

Paradise Cove

Last week my parents came to visit me in Los Angeles. It’s always so nice to spend time with family even if its only for a short period. When I first moved to California my father and I stumbled upon Paradise Cove in Malibu. We were driving up the Pacific Coast Hwy to explore Malibu and enjoy the scenic drive. We noticed the sign for the cafe right off the Hwy and decided to try it out. Little did we know we were about to stumble upon a gem. The Beach Cafe is the only restaurant in Malibu right on the sand with its own private beach & cove.

During the summertime the beach and Cafe are packed with people, and its almost impossible to get a table. This past weekend was off season so we were fortunate to get a table right away and enjoy the beautiful view.

Even though we are well into Fall, the weather in Los Angeles has not been reflecting this. This past weekend it was in the high 80’s, so the beach was the perfect place to go. Since we were there for the sunset I brought some layers as California nights are always cool.

Purse: Michael Kors (on sale similar color here) // Shoes: Tod’s (Similar here and here)

Shirt: Zara old (Similar here, here and here) // T-shirt: Club Monaco old (Similar here and here and love this) // Jeans: A pea in the pod I also love these (Non-maternity here) // Hat: J Crew

California Casual

I am officially half way through my pregnancy…. 20 weeks!! I can’t believe how quickly the time has flown. Thankfully I have been blessed with an easy pregnancy. I have noticed that as the weeks go by and the larger my belly gets, the more I lean towards outfits that are comfortable. I think you can still be chic while dressing for comfort.

Leggings and an oversized shirt are the perfect pregnancy staple. I love this shirt because of the window pane pattern. Black and white are always my go to colors and you will see them a lot in my looks.

Adding the army green jacket gives my look a little life and color. I love the pocket and waist details of this coat. I think the cinched waist gives you some curves and helps to flatter the female figure.

I kept my jewelry minimal to compliment the casual look.

Jacket: Theory old (Similar here, here and here) // Shirt: Aritzia old (Similar here and here and here) // Leggings: A pea in the Pod Maternity // Espadrilles: The espadrille store in Spain // Necklace: Tiffany & Co

With Love….

Andrea

A day at the mall

In the first trimester of my pregnancy, the last thing I wanted to do was go shopping. For me, this is as rare as snow in Los Angeles. I could spend the entire day browsing through boutiques and seeing what the latest trends are. Most pregnant ladies get cravings or aversions to certain foods……my aversions were to coffee and clothing!! (My two favorite things). Not having coffee daily was a good thing, since too much caffeine is not good during pregnancy. My husband would also say that my aversion to shopping was also a plus…..I would disagree. Thankfully after a few weeks this aversion disappeared and I’m back to my normal self.

Many women loose weight or gain just a couple of pounds during their first trimester. Maternity clothing is not really needed until later in the second trimester. For me by the time I was 7 weeks pregnant I noticed that a lot of my pants already started to not fit me. This was difficult for me as I felt like it was too early for maternity wear and I was starting to look frumpy. (No obvious baby bump yet). I’m assuming the raging hormone changes and the thought of clothing not fitting the way it used to was making me avoid shopping. I’ve slowly gotten over that, but I still have a daily struggle to find what works for my changing body.

Maternity Jeans have been my lifesaver. I think I bought them earlier than most women do. I was tired of trying on all my pants and getting frustrated when they weren’t buttoning up. I was thrilled when I found these Adriano Goldshmit 5 pocket jeans. Buying a pair of nice pregnancy jeans is a must. I still feel like I’m wearing a pair of my old jeans but they are so much more comfortable. They have a perfect stretch and no button so I have a lot of room to grow. Getting dressed in the mornings is much easier once I finally took the plunge on pregnancy jeans.

Jacket: Aritzia // Tank top: Anine Bing // Jeans: A Pea in the Pod (AG Jeans) Non-maternity here // Shoes: Steve Madden // Sunglasses: Karen Walker

Animal instincts

I love adding animal inspired pieces to my looks. You can pair them with a basic outfit to add depth and texture, or add them to a more colorful look as a neutral.

My style is most often very casual. My go-to look is usually a button down shirt and jeans. Especially during my pregnancy it’s getting harder to experiment with outfits. I kept my look sleek and simple, and added two animal inspired pieces to enhance my outfit.

The first look included an old Zara leopard coat. I don’t think you can go wrong with leopard. I usually wear it in the form of a scarf or shoes but when I saw this jacket a couple of years ago I knew it was a must have. I don’t get to wear it very often, but when I do, I always get compliments. I think a good statement coat is an investment…especially when it’s not expensive! Getting a basic print like leopard, houndstooth, or a bold color will be something that can last for many years and will always come back into style.

Coat: Zara old (Similar here and here) // Shirt: Equipment // Jeans: 7 of All Mankind (Similar here and here) // Boots: Stuart Weitzman (Similar here and here)

For the second animal inspired accessory I added a faux fur vest. The vest adds volume, layers and texture. I bought this vest last year at Club Monaco during end of the season sales. I am very happy I did since this year faux fur vests are everywhere.

Vest: Club Monaco old (Similar here, here and here) // Sunglasses: Karen Walker

With Love…

Andrea

Looks that didn’t make the blog!!

It’s difficult for me to find the time for proper blog photos. During the week I am busy practicing Dentistry (my actual job). When I get home my husband and I usually go to the gym and by the time we finish, sunlight is no longer present. Not to mention the last thing I want to do is get dressed up, put on makeup and get myself presentable for photos. After a long day at work I rather sit on the sofa and snuggle with my boys! (My hubby and boston terrier). This means that I have to get my blog photos on the weekends.

During the week I will take photos with my phone of some of my outfits. Since I don’t have my “photographers” with me, I end up taking my #FromWhereIStand photos. I have many of these outfits that did not make the blog so I thought I would compile a post on some of my favorite and missed looks!

Plaid and booties are definitely my go to for the fall!!

Shirt: Zara (Similar here and here) // Cape: Aldofo Dominguez (Similar here and here) // Jeans: A pea in the pod (AG jeans) Non-maternity here // Boots: Fiorentini and Baker Similar here and here

Boyfriend jeans and a black tee are a perfect staple to any wardrobe. Add a statement necklace to give it some spice

Shirt: Jacob (Similar here and here) // Necklace: Bauble Bar // Jeans: J Crew (Similar here and here) // Shoes: Chanel Espadrilles (Similar here and here) // Bag: Louis Vuitton

Leopard is always a great accessory to a simple look

Scarf: Hong Kong Markets (Similar here) // Shirt: Zara // Pants: Comptoir Des Cotonniers (Similar here and here) // Shoes: Pretty Ballerinas (Similar here and here) // Bag: Louis Vuitton

Brightening up a white tee and jeans with some red accents.

Jacket: Aritzia // Tank: BCBG Generation (Similar here) // Jeans: J Crew (Similar here and here) Flats: Proenza Shoulder (Similar here) // Purse: Prada

Boy or Girl!!

As soon as we found out we were pregnant, other than wishing for a healthy baby, we were curious to determine whether we were having a boy or a girl!! My husband was especially anxious as he is already planning on painting the nursery and needed to know where we should begin.

One of my best friends who recently had a baby had a gender reveal party!! This was the first time I had heard of this and knew I had to do the same. Currently we are 17 weeks pregnant. Our gender revealing ultrasound was scheduled for week 20. On our 12 week appointment my OBGYN casually mentioned that it could be possible to see the baby’s gender at 16 weeks, and if the technician allowed us to sneak in the room, we could possibly find out then. My husband was convinced we were finally finding out!! At our 16 week appointment, we sweet talked and convinced our doctor and the technician to sneak us in the room and take a look. Although he was ready to find out right at that moment, I had asked them to write it down on a piece of paper and seal it. We brought this paper to our favorite bakery and had them put either pink of blue icing on the inside. Pictures and details of the party will be on my next blog post!!

Dress: Ted Baker Heels: Jimmy Choo Similar Here and Here

Husbands look: Jacket: Etro (old) Pants: Scalpers Tie: Scalpers (old) Shoes: Toms Similar Here and Here

As soon as I saw this dress I knew it was going to be my outfit for the party!! It has an A line cut with a front pleat that fits my growing baby bump perfectly. I love the embellished collar detail, it makes this simple dress complete with no accessories needed. I paired the dress with simple metallic heels. The dress is so bright I knew I needed something neutral to balance it out. These were my wedding heels and I guess are my go to special occasion pumps!!

Find out what we are having in my next post in a few days!! Thanks again for sharing this amazing journey with me.

With Love…..

Andrea

School girl inspired

Sweater: Rag & Bone (Similar here and here) Leather Shorts: Zara (Similar here and here) Boots: Stuart Weiztman (Also love these, these and these) Purse: Chanel

Use code FAMILY25 for 25% off purchases at Shop bop

As soon as I saw this Rag & Bone sweater on the runway last year, I knew I had to have it. Its perfection. It has a school girl/preppy vibe with a sexy low cut V neck. You can dress it up or down and wear it for almost every occasion.

For this post I decided to play up the school girl look and go with my leather shorts and over the knee boots. I love how sexy and fashionable these boots are. I had been on the hunt for the perfect over the knee boot, for about a year and finally took the plunge with these. I was debating between another pair that had a thinner heel and pointed toe. I opted for the Stuart Weiztman’s since I felt that the thicker heel and rounded toe would make the boots a little more causal. When I splurge on a pair of shoes I want to be able to wear them as much as I can. I figured the more casual pair would be perfect for my everyday style and would be more versatile for night and day looks.

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

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