Looking Back & Blogger Meet-Up

2015 wasn't my favorite year if I'm going to be frank. Not to say that it was terrible, or that some personal growth didn't occur because I believe that every year we are alive is a chance for self-improvement. But it was a bit lackluster. Not much changed in my world, aside from watching dear friends get married, continuing to help at-risk children through my work, and teaching my puppy to better behave herself. That was a feat in itself!

I have gotten closer to a point where I feel more comfortable in my own skin, albeit there's always something to complain about. I think I stayed true to my personal style - classic pieces with fun accessories thrown into the mix to keep things fresh. Here are my gems from 2015.

If you have questions on anything you've seen, let me know in the comments and I'll be sure to answer them!

One last thing that just happened and that was a definite highlight of my year was meeting some new (and true) blogging friends last week. Caryl flew in to visit family, Rachelle, Charnele, and Daphnee came from Miami on vacation, and Gina was sweet enough to pick the spot for this momentous occasion! I can't recap the experience as brilliantly as they have, but I do want to share a few pictures from the lunch. 

Pacific Coast Grill

Photo c/o Gina

We devoured the creme brulee

Rachelle, Caryl, Gina

Added in these lovely ladies, Daphnee on the left and Charnele next to me

Then, Rachelle did something epic. She became my photographer! Move over Nate :)

She let me borrow her sunglasses

Thank you Rachelle!

Pretty good, right?! I really hope we can all get together again next year because our personalities mesh so well and I truly adore these women. 

I truly adore all of you too. Thank you so much for another year of supporting this little blog, and for bringing me so much joy. I started this journey years ago, and although blogging has changed tremendously and I've struggled to keep up, I still love it more than ever. I hope 2016 is fruitful for us all. More to come...

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Blogger Must-Haves for Fall 2015

 This was supposed to go live yesterday, but my internet is down so I'm working from Starbucks. Can I just say, I love it! Why don't I do this more often? Not only can I get free wifi, but I can also grab a cup of iced coffee or green tea. And, there's no puppy whimpering at my feet begging to play. Genius.

Anyway, I posted my Fall must-haves last week, and now as promised, it is time for my blogger friends to share theirs as well. Here we go!



From sunny San Diego, Gina: Her blog is On The Daily Express
In Southern California, Fall feels similar to Summer but with less daylight and generally cooler evenings. That means the knee boots and blanket scarves that are popular on blogs this time of year are completely impractical here. I can still wear all of my summer clothes, but I do like to modify my style a little bit, and this year my fall must-haves can be summed up by this picture: Olive and Wine:

Image: Source 

I'm wearing the same lightweight fabrics and cuts as I did in the summer but I swapped out my usual greens and pinks for olive green and red wine-inspired shades.

I wear my white jeans year round, but for Summer I paired them with my Barcelona cami in coral: 

I've worn virtually the same outfit recently, but just by switching to a burgundy cami instead it makes me feel like I'm wearing a Fall outfit:

In the spring I opted for this bright green Portofino Shirt with jeans and leopard pumps:

Then I took the same outfit formula (green top + jeans + leopard pumps) but changed the top to olive green to give it a Fall look:

I'm wearing the exact same shirt and pants in the next two outfits, but changing the shoes from pink to burgundy (of course!) and the bag from yellow to leopard took me from Spring to Fall:

The Fall version:

So for me, my fall must-haves are more about color than anything else. Even if the climate doesn't change much it's nice to feel current just by making a few simple color changes to my outfits!

Next up is Rachelle from Florida. Her blog is Pinksole

Berry lips that I achieve with Estee Lauder Pure Color envy lipstick in plum berry and Nars lipgloss in sixties fan. Wearing both here:

I love any shade of deep red, so I am obsessed with my deep garnet bucket bag from J.Crew.

A utility vest is a must for Fall. I live in South Florida so this is perfect to layer without dying of  a heat stroke.

Last but not least, I love a nice pair of cognac booties, I have my eyes on this pair.





Carylee is from St. Louis and her blog is More Pieces of Me

Plaid shirts because anything plus plaid = an outfit!

Booties! All of the booties! My favorite are the Sam Edelman Petty boot. I have them in three colors - wine, putty, and leopard. They're perfect with skinnies, or even with bare legs when it's not quite cool enough yet!

The puffer vest. Oh my goodness, I bought the infamous herringbone one last year, and quickly added a few more to my collection since then. They're such a great layering piece, and surprisingly warm despite not having any sleeves!

Wine colored skinnies - I have five pairs in slightly different hues (maybe more) because they are on such high rotation.

The chambray - I do wear chambrays year-round, but I reach for them a lot more as it starts getting cooler for layering. It's lightweight but still provides enough extra warmth.





And last but not least, Zeba from Canada. Her blog is Ella Pretty Blog.

1. Shirt Dresses

2. Blanket Scarves

3. Tweed Jackets

4. Ginger tea and a good book

5. Lots of plaid!

I hope you enjoyed reading, and I also hope these lists inspire you to incorporate some of their favorites into your Fall season!

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Dress Hunting {Wedding Guest} & Rocksbox

     Now that it's Spring, and love is in the air as the cliche goes, I'm in anticipation of wedding season. Two of my girlfriends are tying the knot to their long-time loves, and they are the last of my circle to get married. I just love weddings. If I could be a crasher, I probably would take the risk. I could blend in, right? Anyway, the only problem I'm facing is that I have no clue what to wear to either. Ridiculous...some style blogger I am! Both weddings are outside on a lawn, and both will undoubtedly involve the Temecula heat. Keeping cool is a major concern of mine. My husband is in both weddings, but I for once can watch as a proud guest. I love that I can just sit back and relax this year and let him squirm while he gives a toast.

Here are two dresses I'm thinking about, both already ordered.

 Unfortunately, this one by Olivaceous is already sold out at Bloomingdale's but they come back in stock quite often so I will let you know when I find another. 

This dress is originally from Express from a few years back. Bottom line - I once was the happy owner, but then donated it on a whim and it was such a mistake! The color and the style are beautiful, and I think it'll be perfect for an outdoor wedding. I did receive this already from an Ebay seller but it doesn't quite fit so I'm going to work hard to get back into shape and make it work. 

Some other pretty contenders, just in case any of you are on the same hunt as I am:

I've wanted this Eliza J dress since last Summer so I think I may just try it. It comes in petite too. You can find it at Nordstrom . I would wear this beauty anywhere! 

Here's another maxi from Eliza J. It's quite pricey, but I think it's versatile enough for a lot of people. You could definitely dress it up or down. Also found at Nordstrom.

I have this pinned on one of my boards. I think it would be adorable for a more casual wedding. 

Source

I'll let you ladies see what I end up going with. I want all of these dresses just for Summer, not even necessarily for a wedding. They are all gorgeous!

Speaking of gorgeous, I just received my first Rocksbox in the mail yesterday and I couldn't be happier with the three pieces they sent to me. If you haven't yet heard of Rocksbox, it's monthly subscription service that gives you three jewelry items. For 19 dollars a month, you get a personal stylist that curates a box of baubles for you that suit your style. You can either buy them or swap them out for something else. Get your first month free with code BEACHFIRENKXOXO!

Stay tuned next week to see how I style these. 

Happy Friday!

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Pinning Lately

 I don't know what it is, but I cannot get enough of Pinterest these days. Maybe it's because I'm spending too much off time on the couch, or maybe it's because I'm needing a style upgrade, but I have been loving it lately. I was a fiend during my wedding planning, but I didn't really have an account during that process. I would just search for things I needed, save them to a folder on my laptop, and print them out to show to friends, family, and vendors. Now that the wedding is over and I do have an account, it's naturally become directed towards fashion and beauty.

Here are some of my favorite pins from my boards. You may find them beautiful as well. I'll take one of each please!

3.1 Philip Lim via Nordstrom

via StyleBistro.com 

via lookbookstore

via Ellapparelblog.com

via fashionsy.com

found via Linkedin.com

via Elizabeth Stone Jewelry

(I have this ring in grey, but I just love the amethyst in this one)

via Lulus.com

via whowhatwear

Please leave me your Pinterest account below so I can check out your boards!

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