a week of spring dressing. dark florals.

who says spring has to be all about the brights? if you tend to shy away from bright florals, take on spring with neutrals. remember, it's more important to feel comfortable and confident in what you're wearing, so go on and rock black this spring! i'm all about spring lips, tho...wearing creamy lip pencils 'toots' with a bit of 'shambolic' from LAQA & Co. if you prefer more shine, they just released four new lip lubes which have a high-gloss and lightly pigmented formula...perfect for summer when we tend to lighten up our makeup.

today is mini-he's birthday. of course, i was up all night making friggen cupcakes for his class, but i think they turned out alright despite the color printer malfunction. he's all about that minecraft, so these are supposed to be dirt/grass blocks in case ya didn't know. yeah, yeah, they're supposed to be dirt on the bottom, grass on the top, but this mama ain't got time for green frosting!

how do you feel about wearing black this spring?

7 years old today!

(Patty's Closet top; Forever 21 skirt;

JustFab shoes & bag; LAQA & Co. fat lip pencils)

a week of coats. gold satin.

another oldie but goodie i'm pulling out of the closet. i bought this gold satin trench coat for a christmas party years ago, but never wore it. poor thing's been collecting dust in the nethers of my closet ever since. dressing it down here for a day of running around.

how would you dress down this gold satin trench coat?

(Pacsun denim; Nike Free 5.0; JustFab bag;

necklace via POPSUGAR must-have box)

in case you missed it:

a week of coats . military

a week of coats . black velour

you might like these:

a week of coats. military.

having coats in Hawaii is a matter of want vs need. for the most part, we don't need them...but it doesn't stop us from wanting them. besides, there may come a freakishly cold day in which we might need one, right? at least that's how i justify them. i'm pulling a few out of the closet for this week of coats.

i used to love military coats (think gold buttons, structured, uniformed piping). the details on this one plus its navy color had a subtle military vibe.

(ricky's nyc nail polish)

wearing: kiss me at midnight over walk of shame

(Forever 21 coat; Paige denim; JustFab bag; Sole Society shoes)

a few to try:

for the guys:

olive + red.

this is as fall as it's going to get around here, i'm afraid. with temps still reaching the 90s + high humidity, it's [literally] difficult to get dressed in the morning. i tried to put on a pair of jeans this weekend and could not get them up past my knees, because i was so sticky! the struggle is real!

but when it does get chilly, one of my utility jackets is always within reach. pairing an olive green jacket with red [plaid] is one of my absolute favorite combos.

p.s. stay tuned for our fall 2014 east vs. west series

debuting tomorrow!

have you transitioned to fall completely?

what fall trend are you loving?

(mossimo jacket (similar); justfab luxe boots; express denim;

shirt via local store; love & sunshine pouch)

here's a few to try:

the ankle boot.

if there is one boot you need for fall, it's the ankle boot. it's versatile and can be worn year round throughout the seasons. it works with shorts in the summer, skirts in the spring, and pants during fall and winter.

i'd normally rock this favorite button-up shirt + denim shorts combo with sneakers, but i decided to break out the boots...in the spirit of fall.

how are you rocking your ankle boots?

what is your boot style..tall, flat, riding?

(f21 shirt, DIY levis; JustFab luxe boots; love & sunshine clutch)

shop the look:

what does the fox say.

keeping this a semi-wordless wednesday...

mini-he used to get a kick out of this song. so i got this shirt with him in mind thinking that he'd get a kick out of it, too. he did. only, he asked if there was a shirt for him. oops.

happy hump day.

(9th & Elm tank; patty's closet skirt and bag; justfab shoes; libi & lola bracelet)

a week of summer whites. textures 01.

with summer officially over, we had a big blowout at the beach house this weekend. some friends are in town, too, so it was one big slumber party. mini-she cooked for us all weekend...chocolate chip banana pancakes + bacon + eggs for breakfast, steak + sauteed onions for dinner, snicker doodles + homemade ice cream for dessert...the eating [and drinking] never stopped. plus, the weather was perfect for the multiple trips we made to the beach. we also escaped the heat for a quick trip to the movies (if anyone saw disney planes fire & rescue, windlifter was definitely my fave).

with your summer skin a few shades darker, lighter clothing shades amplify your glowing skin. so we're bidding summer farewell with a week of summer whites. when wearing all white (or all black) use texture to add interest to your outfits.

are you (or your kids) back in school?

what will you miss most about summer?

love these bic flame disks! a super easy alternative to charcoal that was perfect for making s'mores.

peace out, summer!

(patty's closet top; express denim;

justfab shoes; thrifted top; inpink necklace)

try the look:

stars stripes whiskey.

i'm not going to lie; i have a thing for gray tees.

long-sleeved, muscle tee, v-neck, heather gray...i can never pass up a good one. here's one i didn't have...distressed. it's super soft and worn in, complete with holes.

how to wear gray tees?

- with lace shorts

- with liquid leggings

- with white denim

- with a saying

- with utility jackets

- with neon

- with sequins

- with more gray

and with statement heels + a colorful necklace like below.

how do you wear your gray tees?

(9th & Elm triangle necklace; Shop Lately statement necklace)

the weather was beautiful this weekend.

even at 5pm, it was blue skies and sunshine.

(tee c/o 9th & Elm (buy); UO leather shorts;

JustFab shoes; Victoria's Secret bikini top)

a few to try: