the.B.Law

LA Fashion and Sad Noodles

I don’t know if it is something in the air or not, but lately (actually more last week when I started writing this) I have been a sad noodle. I didn’t know what that fabulous phrase was until my little sister told me she was a sad noodle and continued to explain she meant meh, like in a funk. Then my other little sister said she was feeling meh so I graced her vocabulary with sad noodle. Now the three of us are sad noodles together, because being a sad noodle is at least better with other sad noodles. Okay I think I have said sad noodle enough times for you to want to use it too. 

I am not entirely sure why I have been meh, but I think I might have an idea. I came to the realization the other day that I’m not in a state of feeling left out, but a constant state of feeling left behind. This all circles back to the comparison trap. So many of my friends and people I know are moving on with their lives, getting married, buying houses, while I am doing none of the above. WHICH IS OKAY. I have to remind myself I am not them. It is just something that gets you down every now and then you know? This week I feel much more neutral about the whole thing. I have noticed the sad noodle phase comes after a really fun weekend when the high is gone. I think I will go into this more later when I can gather my thoughts better.

ANYWAYS it has been so long since I have done a style post. I find myself missing it. Maybe that is something that will help get me out of this bowl of sad noods, actually writing for fun again. My girlfriend Maria and I went to LA a few weeks ago to just be general basics and it was so fun! I made sure I made an “LA style” outfit. By that I mean something I’d want to wear but am not brave enough to wear just around anywhere. I feel like LA is where you can try any fashion out and literally no one cares. 

So I put together what I thought was kind of dressy and kind of edgy (I really dig these kinds of looks right now). I paired my leopard midi-dress under a tied up graphic tee and white booties. I was strangely excited to wear this outfit, it was totally out of my norm and I relished in it. It made me remember how much I love dressing up and making new looks. I am really hoping to create some actual content soon, thank you for being patient with me. 

Until then, enjoy the look and find the links below! The top is older so I am linking a few other graphic tees (I am OBSESSED with graphic tees right now who am I?!) 

Outfit linked here: Leopard Dress | Tee Alternative #1, #2, #3 | Boots (similar) | Purse (similar) | Sunnies

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Green is My Color!

I have been SO OBSESSED with this emerald/forest green color this season! So much so I keep having to tell myself no when I try to buy ANOTHER piece in this color. I have a blazer and high waist, wide leg pants, but I also want a sweater now… In reality, how many pieces in the same color is acceptable to have?

I think I need to limit myself because the blazer and the pants are definitely statement pieces. I have gotten a ton of compliments on both, and both are super comfy because they are over-sized. I prefer the looser blazers that do not have shoulder pads. Fitted blazers can be so restricting, and I have been loving pairing them over a casual outfit and adding heels like I did below. Jeans, a graphic tee, blazer, and booties or heels just looks so chic. Mixing style genres (is that the right term?) is so fun and kind of edgy. I also like that it is not my usual style. One of my co-workers told me she couldn’t figure out my style and I took it as such a compliment!

Both of these pieces are also great as your one pop of color with an all black outfit, the blazer especially. For work I would do a black blouse, black ankle slacks, the blazer, gold accessories, and either black or leopard shoes (heels or flats – preferably mules/slides).

Check them out below! To be honest, I am most likely going to buy a sweater still… I just love the color with my red hair. Stay tuned! Styles linked below:

Blazer | Top (is 4 years old, any white graphic tee will work, I like this one here 🙂 |  Jeans (similar) | Booties (similar)

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Top (potential alternative) | Pants | Heels

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Investment Pants

When I got my job a little over two years ago, I was so excited to have to follow a business casual dress code. Is that weird? I don’t know, I have just always loved the idea of dressing up for the office. I had a good amount of business attire from my previous job (although it wasn’t required), but I was starting at a new job so of course I wanted new items. I slowly started collecting new styles from my usual go-tos Target and Old Navy. Like most styles, they don’t last all that long in my closet. I am constantly changing my likes and dislikes.

One day I was browsing Topshop on the Nordstrom site and found a dark pink pair of high waist trousers. I was immediately obsessed and couldn’t stop thinking about them. I wanted them so badly but they were $69.00 if I remember correctly. I have never spent that much on a pair of pants so I didn’t think that I could now. My want however got the best of me and I convinced myself that I deserved them for starting a new job. I ordered them. When they arrived and I put them on I knew I made the right decision, but I was afraid to tell anyone how much they were. Why? I don’t know, it was my business anyways.

Now I have had these pants for over two years and still probably wear them once a month or every month and a half. They have become a staple in my closet. The color, although not bright, is still a fun pop, and it never fails when I wear them I STILL get compliments all day long.

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I have realized that it is okay to have investment pieces if you are actually going to get use out of them. These pants are still in style and a great material so I know they will last. There really is a quality factor here. The key though is making sure you are investing in something that can be worn more than once (dresses I know are a different story, but why will we invest so much in a dress to be worn most likely once but question our decision to invest in pants that can be worn constantly?). A good pair of work pants, jeans, a blazer, basic work tops or outwear that will be put to good use I think are totally worth the investment.  What are your investment pieces?

Outfit linked here (similar pant options as these are old): Top | Pants option one (comes in 3 colors including a similar pink) | Option two | Option three | Option four | Option five | Heels

 

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New Flannel!

My oh my it is so easy to fall off the wagon. I got behind in blog planning and then wasn’t feeling well and then next thing I knew I was behind! I refuse to fall back into bad habits of being inconsistent. Ever since I got my calendar dedicated for blog content planning my world has changed! I try to plan for two weeks at a time. I think I will do a separate post on planning later. Anyways, I am back!

Now that is it FINALLY starting to feel like fall, despite it getting warmer again this week, I am finally breaking out the flannels! Even though I do not need anymore, every year I manage to buy at least one new flannel, I can’t help it! When I cleaned out my closet this past spring I ended up getting rid of like 5 flannels and still had 3 left over. Serious issues.

I usually get my flannels from Target, but so far this year I bought a new one from the Nordstrom Anniversary sale from BP. It is so soft! I love that it is thin, it makes it much easier to wear and layer in SoCal. I went for this one because I really wanted a black and white pattern. I always end up with colors which is fine, but I think this combo is much more versatile, plus I love being able to pair with olive and mustard sweaters or pants, or really any color sweater like the pink I added below.

Flannels are great in the fall and winter because they are so easy to look put together. You can wear it by itself, with a sweater/blazer/cardigan/leather jacket over it, or even as an add on and tie it around your waist. What is your favorite way to style a flannel?

Show the look here! Flannel | Similar Flannel | Cardigan | Jeans | Heels | Belt

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Favorite Fall Color

What is your favorite fall color? As much as I love olive and the different shades of burgundy and magenta, my all time favorite is mustard yellow. It is just the perfect color pop for the season and can go with much more than some may think. Even if it doesn’t match completely there are still ways to tie it in, one of my faves is with navy.

I went through a period of thinking I couldn’t wear mustard anymore with red hair. I felt like I would be a walking ketchup and mustard combo. But finally I realized I totally could wear it, now I have moved on to feeling like I can’t wear bright pink.

I know I said one of my favorites is mustard with navy, but my all time favorite is mustard over black and white print. Whether it be black and white stripes, polka-dots or plaid (and yes I have all three), a mustard sweater or cardigan just looks so fall over it. Plus top the look off with camel tan boots, flats, or heels. Like I did here:

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These loafer mules by Madewell are such a great fall piece for work and for casual wear. The pinkish tan suede make them a very versatile staple. They go with almost everything yet the pink tones make them stand out. PS – they are on sale for 60% off! I will link them below. I am hopping it will be cool enough to take out the boots soon!

I got this mustard cardigan during the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale (and it is on sale again for 40% off! Linked below). I love the balloon sleeve detail and that the sleeves are actually long enough. I am long but usually wear a small so most times long sleeves are too short on me. This one is sooo soft too! So is this v-neck that I also got from the Nordstrom sale. Actually, this entire outfit is from the Nordstrom sale! It has just been too hot to wear all together.

All items are linked here: Sweater | V-Neck | Jeans | Mules

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White After Labor Day

We all know the old phrase, “don’t wear white after Labor Day,” but do we even know why that is or how that came about? I have heard the phrase many times but never paid much attention to is besides joking that I was wearing white after Labor Day. I also mentally excluded white tops from this rule, you know if I were to even follow it. To me I always assumed white pants and dresses were the only pieces that fell into under this strange fashion restriction.

I never actually looked up why we have this “rule” until this year. It apparently took me 28 years of ignoring it to be curious enough to want to know why.  Turns out, in my opinion, it is good most people ignore this very out of date way of thinking. An article from Marie Claire, “Can You Wear White After Labor Day?: A Consensus”, opened my eyes to this silly tradition. The article read:

The “you can’t wear white after Labor Day,” rule was created to separate the old money elitists from the new money group. “It [was] insiders trying to keep other people out,” according to Valerie Steele, director of the Museum at the Fashion Institute of Technology, in an interview with Time, “and outsiders trying to climb in by proving they know the rules.” – Chelsea Peng, Marie Claire

The whole reason this “rule” was made was to separate classes, this seems ridiculous to me and very Gatsby-esq. This isn’t East and West Egg.

“For those who had money and could leave the city during warmer months, white was considered vacation attire.” Chelsea Peng, Marie Claire

When summer is over you would ideally come home from vacation and bust out your darker fall clothes to get back to school, work and life and pack away your “vacation” clothes. Such a silly rule about wearing a certain color. Glad it is 2018 and I can wear white whenever I want and not look like a social climbing, new money wannabe.

I finally got my favorite jeans in white and I love them! The Jamie from Topshop are my all time favorite jeans. They are the perfect high waist jeans and are so comfy and flattering. I have barely touched any of my other jeans since I got these and now I have blue, black, and white so I am pretty much set.

Funny story about these white ones. I wear a size 28×32 in these and Nordstrom only had a 28×30. I am tall so those would not work for me. They were on sale and said “price matched” so I figured that must mean they are on sale on the Topshop site. I was right and they had my size so I ordered them! They came in and were “sateen”… they were shiny space pants! I was so mad I did not read the description well enough. I returned them and decided I would just try on the the 30×32 at Nordstrom which were too big BUT turned out this Nordstrom had my size it just didn’t show online. So I finally got my white jeans… just in time for Labor Day! lol

I have never been one to wear white on white or off white on white (one, because I spill things, and two, I wasn’t sure if that even looked okay). I have seen a couple bloggers do it though and I really liked it! I gave it a try with my sprinkle tank and it was super cute. I also added this sweater in hopes it would make fall come sooner. I am still waiting but have a good feeling… stay tuned.

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I also added one of my favorite wedges because you cannot ruin a good look with bad shoes, duh.

Shop the look: Top (40% off!) | Jeans (50% off!) | Sweater | Wedges

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9th Wheeling It

Hi! I hope you all had a great Labor Day weekend! I did and I am sad that it is over and we are back to work. I know summer isn’t over yet but doesn’t Labor Day kind of feel like the last weekend? The next holiday I have off is Thanksgiving… Anyways, Sunday morning I went out to Palm Springs to hang with Heather and her boyfriend and their friends. We got a daybed at the Saguaro pool and it was SUCH a good time!

Our group was fun, I was totally the 9th wheel but never felt left out once. The girls mostly hung out together while the guys hung together. I feel like I need to express how great this friend group is because it just amazes me. The group of friends is THE GUYS! Heather’s boyfriend went to high school with the other three (plus two more that couldn’t make it) and all of their girlfriend’s/wives are now friends. I met them in January for Heather’s birthday and since then they have welcomed me with open arms into their group. They are such amazing people, so fun and genuine and constantly make you laugh. I love seeing friend groups like this but it is even more impressive that it is a guy friend group. I don’t know why that seems so rare to me, is that rare? I feel like guys don’t try to get together as much, or at least that is what I have seen. But these guys enjoy hanging together and having fun and including the girls (and me!) and I love it! It really makes me want to find a guy that enjoys his friends and not only wants to hang out with them, but wants me to hang out with him with them. That didn’t happen in my last relationship and spending time with this awesome group really shows me that is something that I want. I would 9th wheel them anytime!

The Saguaro was super fun though and I am happy we reserved a daybed. Last time I went in June we couldn’t even find a chair to put our bag on, we just had to put it on the ground (or more in the planter) and hope nobody took it or stepped on it. All of us girls got the fun drink cups (Heather got the watermelon and the rest of us got grapefruits) and filled them with the yummiest watermelon margaritas. We hung out at the pool for almost 6 hours (GREAT people watching) then finally paid the tab and left to get In-N-Out for dinner and then hang at home. At home we played Jenga and stayed up and talked a bit but were all asleep by 11pm. Why do we not party and day drink more often? It is great! You get to have fun but still go to bed early. Who needs to party at night when you can be done and sleep instead? We said this last night and were all that is how we know we are getting old.

Monday we just walked around downtown Palm Springs and got lunch and then desert, our favorite pineapple Dole Whip soft serve. While we ate the ice cream, one of the guys busted out Bean-Boozle, the jelly beans that either taste like something normal or something out of a garbage can. Why do they even make these vile things?! My first one I got SO lucky. I got a white which would either be coconut or spoiled milk, I got coconut PRAISE JESUS. The next three who picked a white got spoiled milk. By the second round the rule was if you spit it out you had to eat another. That round I got moldy cheese and was gagging. I chewed three times and couldn’t get it to go down so I took a drink and swallowed it like a pill. Everyone almost threw up once in this game yet we still played multiple rounds, remember how I said up there we were getting old? Maybe I need to rethink that.  Funny that a group of kids were sitting across from us watching our group of 9 almost 30 year olds gag and moan from forcing each other to play Bean-Boozle… who were the more mature ones now?

All in all it was a great weekend. It felt like a little mini vacation, we didn’t worry about anything but having a good time. I was also excited to wear my new bathing suit I got on sale when I went to the Topshop store at the Grove, I had been wanting a rainbow-ish print suit! I paired my GRL Collective Palm Springs line earrings with it and it was perfect!

Shop the look: Suit (the suit was on sale and they don’t have this one anymore but I linked a two piece in the same print BUT they don’t have a lot of sizes… the link will take you to Topshop anyways, look at their other suits! They have some good ones on sale, sorry!) | Earrings | Sunnies | Sandals

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Heather’s earrings are also from GRL Collective, linked here!

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Family Portrait – They adopted me LOL

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Sprinkle Tank!

Happy Monday! Hopefully everyone had a great weekend. Mine was good and bad. Bad because I had a massive headache both days, but good because I got to celebrate one of my best friend’s son’s first birthdays and yesterday one of my other best friends and I bought rollerblades!! Haha yes rollerblades. We are now “The Bladies” and are going to skate for fun and exercise #babesonblades. I forgot what a workout rollerblading is! My butt and thighs were tired right away. Anyone else still rollerblade? If this link works, this is my new video on IGTV for our first day blading: click here!

Anyways, for the party Saturday I wore this new tank I got and it is so cute! It looks like sprinkles or confetti. Throwing on a tank easy-tucked into high waisted shorts with some earrings, is such an easy outfit yet looks really put together. It is the perfect summer look. It’s casual but is not too dressed down. I didn’t actually wear these wedges to the party, I wore gold sandals, but that shows this look can really be styled either way. Brunch with the girlfriends calls for wedges, baby’s birthday party calls for sandals.

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One of my girlfriends is super into camis right now and I think I am finally hopping on that train. I have this one but now I want more! Any suggestions on wear to get some good ones?

This look is linked here: Tank | Shorts | Shoes | Earrings | Sunnies | Purse | Sandals

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Fave #NSale Outfit

I am really excited about the outfit I found from the Nordstrom Anniversary sale, mostly because I can already wear it now. I know the sale has a ton of fall items and sweaters, and yes I bought a couple, but I can’t wear any of those for the next few months and I want to wear my new stuff now! When I went into Nordstrom the day early access started, I already knew what I had my eye on from online, but I stumbled across this top and these jeans on accident. When I saw the top, by BP, it was one of those moments when as soon as you see it you know you have to have it.

I grabbed it to try on and wanted to see how it looked with jeans (I was in a dress) so I grabbed a pair of Topshop jeans that were also part of the sale. Topshop jeans are my absolute favorite, they fit so great and are so comfy. I have been wanting raw hem jeans and these ones I found were high waist (the Jamie), raw hem, AND a step hem. I used to not be crazy about step hems but as soon as I tried them on I was in love with them. I tried the whole look on (I had already purchased the shoes downstairs) and I was sold. My only hesitation about the jeans was that they were kind of short. The super sweet sales associate though told me we could order them in a 32 length, #tallproblems.

I love that this top can be worn with jeans or with dress pants to work, same with the shoes, they are so cute and comfy! This is definitely my favorite find from the sale. What about you all, create any good looks?

Shop the look here:

Top   Jeans  Shoes

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A little Pattern Mix

My favorite patterns to mix are stripes and florals. Something about those two together just calls to me. My got to is a black and white striped top with one of my three floral kimonos over, but yes I know you can’t mix ALL stripes and ALL florals, but it has been fun to try it in new ways. Some of my favorite denim shorts are my Topshop high waist “mom” jeans that have a big embroidered rose on each side. I think I have mentioned before that when I asked my sister if she liked them before I bought them, she cracked a joke about me wanting to be a camp counselor. Turns out she loves them now! Since these shorts only have two flowers they can hardly be called floral print right? So I took advantage to add in a third pattern. I paired a black and white striped tank, easy tucked into my camp counselor shorts, and added my cheetah print espadrille mules from the dv line for Target (linked here! PS- they run small, I got a half size up). They are not the big cheetah print, they are the small almost more polkadot like print. It may all sound weird but I think it worked. I have actually been able to add these shoes into a lot of outfits and they just work because the print really isn’t that loud. They are also SUPER comfy. Do you have favorite patterns you like to mix? Let me know because I need to branch out!

(I am also super obsessed with this round sunglasses and they are only $14! I am going to get like three more colors. Linked here!)

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I am doing the “scurry, sniff, FLINCH!” like Timon in The Lion King 1 1/2 duh!

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