Peachy Keen

Spring is here so of course all the light, spring colors are everywhere...the pastels..pinks..lavenders.  Personally I'm really loving all the muted tone pinks and peaches out there.  Wearing those colors always makes me feel so girly and feminine, and I like to pair it with a darker color to balance it out.  Here I'm wearing this peach floral bell sleeve ( which is a huge trend this spring as well) by Free People and paired it dark gray skinnies from Brandy Melville to balance it out. 

How do you wear your favorite spring colors??

xo

Karen

 

All photos shot by Kelly Brooke.  Check out her site here or follow her IG: @kellybrookephoto

SHOP THIS LOOK:

(Some items are sold out so I have included links to similar.  Cheers! Happy shopping!)

Day to a Date

So I have a lot of friends ask me on the easiest ways to take your look from day to date.  With all our crazy schedules, sometimes you just don't have time to run home to change.  I'd say the quickest and simplest way to make a wardrobe change is plan for it! Make sure what your wear that day CAN go from day to date without much effort.  For example, if you were say, coming from the office wearing a blazer, I would bring statement necklaces and bracelets with me to amp up the look and maybe keep some ripped jeans in your car to change to, if you live in your car like me.

For this look, I actually took away instead of added to switch it up.  I'm loving denim vests these days ( as seen in my last post) because the weather in LA has been so gorgeous that there really hasn't been a need to wear a jacket during day, but the vest is just perfect for that lil bit of wind we have been getting here in southern Cali.

Took off my denim vest to reveal the super cute cut out in the back and now I'm ready for a casual happy hour and movie!

Let's go!! Hope everyone had a fun Cinco de Mayo!!

xo Karen

Outfit Details:

Shoes: Nasty Gal (Shoe Cult)

Bag: Rebecca Minkoff

Top: Nordstrom

Skirt: Forever 21

Sunglasses: Tom Ford

Necklace:Urban Outfitters

It's a Jungle Out There

It's been a week since the second weekend of Coachella and I admit, it's taken me that long to re-adjust going from the good energy hippie festival vibe in the desert to the fast hustle and bustle of city life! With getting a bout of the post-festival flu to being thrown right back into work, I have only one thing to say: It's a jungle out there!!

I was in DTLA recently and I decided to embrace the urban, concrete jungle vibe by sporting my skinny cheetah-print harem pants with some black and gold accessories.

Harem pants are very on trend right now ( even if Chelsea Handler dismissed them in an article, claiming that NO ONE should wear harem pants, not even women who really belong to actual harems." LOL- she kills me! ) What I love about this pair is that they are skinny through out the leg but only gives out around the hip area, so it is both a comfortable harem pant but still sexy.

I finished the look off with a denim vest, my trusty ole Chanel shopper bag and some yellow gold reflective aviators!

There really IS no parking available ever in the Urth Cafe DTLA.  The struggle is real…

xo Karen

Outfit Details:

Harem Skinnies: Knot Sisters

Bag: CHANEL

Vest and Tank: No Rest For Bridget  (no longer avail)

Shoes: Rachel Roy

Sunglasses: Forever 21

Bracelet: Nasty Gal

Necklace: H&M  ( no longer avail, here is similar)

Feels Like Summer….

It's been so hot out lately here in Southern Cali that it literally feels somewhat oppressive inland but has been perfect weather for beach days!!!  Feel so so grateful that we get sun year round in Cali that I've been hitting the beach to really appreciate it more and literally soak it all in.

Here I am in Venice from a couple days ago wearing my new Chaser tee and cutoffs-- a staple beach day outfit in CA.

I love how vibrant this tee is!

It goes perfectly with all my bright arm party!

My beach jewelry: Grab anything bright and easy to throw on.  Done.

I love how for some reason I look so tan here! Makes me feel like going somewhere tropical to lay out for days and days and days...

Wearing my Luv AJ x Stone Cold Fox collaboration  "Ramone" belt.

Outfit Details:

Sunglasses: Michael Kors

Tee: Chaser

Cutoffs: Forever 21

Heart Earring: Stacy Sterling

Bag: Spell Designs ( no longer avail, here is similar)

Belt: Luv AJ X SCF ( from Prism Boutique)

Assorted Jewelry: Brandy Melville, Urban Outfitters, H&M

I find just sitting on the sand barefoot, looking out to the ocean is so therapeutic, and really helps recharge the soul.  Now, I'm ready for the Coachella craziness of this weekend!!!

xo Karen

Shabby Chic

      So I'm not the biggest fan of the "blazer".  I tend to favor leather jackets or my favorite ole motorcycle jacket to pull my finished look together before I'm out the door.  But seeing that pastel colored blazers are big this spring, I thought I'd give it a whirl with how I'd wear it.

   

       Admittedly I first tried this look with a lace trimmed tank and decided I almost fell asleep with how boring that looked. The only way I can ever wear a blazer (and still be me) is with a rock tee, hands down.  My favorite rose print Grateful Dead muscle tank was a perfect compliment/ contrast to the look I was trying to create. 

I paired it with shredded/ ripped boyfriend jeans (another HUGE trend this spring, one that I'm obsessed with, by the way) and suddenly I was in love with how I looked kinda girly with the pink but still edgy.

 I rolled up my sleeves so I can wear way too many accessories---its my thing!

My trusty old Jeff Campbell Solitaire pumps + Foley and Corrina  bag are my go-to's of late this spring, probably cuz they are white and go with all the light spring colors.

The rose gold jewelry/ spikes/ studs finish off this look and I'm ready to go!!

Outfit Details:

Pink Blazer: Mango

Boyfriend Jeans: Topshop

Grateful Dead Muscle Tee: Urban Outfitters

Shoes: Jeffrey Campbell

Bag: Foley and Corrina ( Shopbop exclusive, here is similar)

Jewelry, assorted..too many to link: Urban Outfitters, H&M

Wear What You Own

     Often in life we keep searching for things outside of us that we think we need when all along we already had it.  Whether it be love, approval, validation, it all exists within us.  If you seek out these things from other people you not only give your power away, but you would be missing the most important point, and that is self-love is the key to happiness.  Get out of your head and drop into your heart  to find that, and you will see that all the things you thought you needed you've already had all along.

      To celebrate this empowering thought, I've decided to include this post.  Everything I'm wearing here is nothing new, I've had all of these inside my own closet for a while, so forgive me if some of the items won't have links that to direct you to where to get them, as some are no longer available.

What are some things in your own heart (and closet, ha!) can you bring to light?  Don't be afraid to really look and get creative!  Radiate love!

xo Karen

"Maybe there's a way out of the cage where you live

Maybe one of these days you can let the light in

Show me how big your brave is"

-Sara Bareilles

Outfit Details:

Flannel: Nordstrom's

Shoes: Aldo

Jeans: Paper Denim & Cloth

Lace Top: Forever 21

Big Stud Bracelet: Urban Outfitters

Silver Rope Bracelets: Rebecca Minkoff

Statement Necklace: Luna Boutique ( may be still avail at store locations)

Effortless Boho Chic

       Though I tend to dress according to my mood, and perhaps location ( I've never worn so much black in my life than when I was in New York) my style tends to lean more towards the boho-chic, easy Cali vibe on a day to day basis.  The trick to making this look work is just that, be literally effortless with it.

        

That's why I loooove this mini dress by One Teaspoon.  It serves the same purpose as a maxi dress ( in that, you put one on and throw on some jewelry and suddenly you look put together with no effort at all) but it is a mini dress, which is a godsend for petite girls like me because it won't swallow up my figure like some maxi dresses can.

   As for accessorizing, I have been guilty in the past (and probably still will be in the future) of doing the whole arm party and ring fiesta ( I just coined that term..I know, I know, stop trying to make fetch happen!) thing.  It's hard not to when boho chic accessories/details are all my favorites: turquoise, feathers, lace, stones, crystals…I could wear them all!! The more the merrier! Ha!

But this stunning quartz crystal necklace by Paradigm Design is a showstopper enough by itself and didn't need much more so I wore it solo and just threw on some bangles.  I  love the length of the necklace.  It stops at a perfect spot just above my heart, which is perfect since crystals are said to have healing properties. (How so boho-hippie-chic of me! )

To complete the look, I put on a braided tan belt to cinch the  loose fit of the dress and to break up my petite frame. Threw on some House of Harlow tortoise sunnies, sandals and of course, some fringe!! Voila!! Boho chic done effortlessly! :)

Outfit Details:

Dress: One Teaspoon

Necklace: Paradigm Design from Prism Boutique

Sandals: Michael Kors

Fringe BagJJ Winters

Bangles: Urban Outfitters, no longer avail..here is similar