LA Life

The "it" dress for any occasion

dress: Cynthia Vincent      shoes: Joie      MOOD: breezy ;)

If your Summer is anything like mine, it's busy and chock-full of events. That means finding styles that can do double duty so that you're ready to tackle any event, stylishly. I'm an auto yes girl when it comes to wedding and I drag my hubby ( who has to wave goodbye to his socks and sandals for a few hours) to every one. I love to get dolled up, celebrate love and yes, the dancing y'all!  So RSVP for that wedding, bridal shower, gala, dinner gathering or fabulous date night because I've got you covered. 

When it comes to finding that "go to" dress I look for a styles that I can wear with at least three types of shoes. A pump or strappy heel, a wedge or flats. If I find a style that can be worn easily with these shoe types then I know I can rock this dress to many events. I look at fabric and zoom in on classic styles that has a little something extra. 

For this dress, it was this amazing tribal print anchored by a simple fitted shape and a very lady like side slit ( so fun).  When it comes to fabric, opt for dressier. I look for silks, lace, eyelet or even a drapey cotton or crepe fabric. It's much easier to dress something down than dress it up, especially a dress. I snagged this beauty a few years ago ( see what I mean about the classics, they stick around) at Fancy Pants in downtown Boise. There's certainly some new loves so I would recommend a visit. If you're looking online I loved this style and this. Both styles are playful but has a great classic look. The lightweight chambray dress, ummmm LOVE! I would say that you are ready for those photo-ops and if I see you at a mutual event come say hi to your girl :)

SIDE NOTE: If you're in LA, visiting Abbot Kinney is a must. The stores, people and vibe is beyond cool. I had a blast hanging with my girl Jessica Rieke of J.Lee Photos. All the great shots are taken by this talented babe. If you are a ice cream lover, get ready to fall head over heels in love. You must and I mean must visit Salt and Straw. It's taste bud bliss!! 

Easy ways to rock neutrals

Wearing neutrals just makes me swoon about summer. It's light, fresh and modern. Summer will be here in about 6 weeks peeps and I'm counting :)  Wearing all neutrals is about texture and picking the right shade. I'm a fan of whites, ivory and grays. Since the weather will be slipping on its fancy 70 degrees and up temperature our way,  here are a few of my "how to" tips to rocking all neutrals and keeping your cool. 

Texture is your friend. I'm wearing these  ivory denim shorts from JCrew and paired it with this darling eyelet  top from Banana Republic. The eyelet gives this color palette some texture and makes the outfit more playful. By the way guys, this top was on super sale in the store so go snag yourself one now :) The ivory top was a bit darker than the shorts but this is why having texture is so great. The shades do not have to be an exact match, which makes pairing easy. Mama likes that!

the sun shining through :)

the sun shining through :)

Accessorize to add a little something something ;) I paired this grey bag from JCrew ( so cute right) and my little coral puffball name Javi  ;)  to give the all ivory look some anchor. When it comes to styling myself and my clients, looking great should be a simple and easy process. Neutrals allows this ease because you don't have to worry about matching or coordinating since you're using the same color palette. They all play nicely with each other. 

If you want to wear all white, choose white denim and a silk-like top or knitted top with a smooth cotton bottoms. If you want an all grey look, wear light grey on top, dark on the bottom with a fun printed bag. Are you guys picking up what I'm throwing down?! Wonderful!! Now go and get your style on. MUAH!! :)

 

Lessons learned from Mama #MamaKnowsBest

So let me explain my Mom to you just a bit. She is 5’4” maybe, on a good day, full of energy and doesn’t mind telling me what she thinks (with or without request). She’s my favorite person and she drives me crazy. It’s the most wonderful and maddening love ever :)

Growing up, my Mom was a bit of a hard ass ( yah I said it, sorry Mom but you were). Ugh, those days where I just wanted to scream at you and slam the door because I thought you were trying to make my life a living hell. I realized, eventually, how thankful I was for those moments. I’m so happy that you demanded more from me than I did myself. 

Mama lesson learned: TRY HARDER

When I did poorly on something my Mom would ask me in her very thick Jamaican accent “How hard did you try? Did you prepare yourself so that you could produce the best result? If you tell me yes, then I know you tried.”
Yep…I just wanted to yell at her because she was right (grrr)  and my poor performance was usually the result of being ill-prepared or really not being interested whatsoever. 
So now,  I work towards trying to be better on whatever job I take on. I learn something new after every project and I ask myself, what can I do better for my clients. I’ve noticed that there is always something to improve upon. Better isn’t about perfection, to me it's about allowing meaningful progress. Experience is a good teacher. 

Mama lesson learned: BE YOUR OWN CHEERLEADER

I actually learned this from a few of my "Mamas" - amazing women whom I love and admire a great deal. I'm grateful to have each of them in my world. They've provided amazing support,  love and pushed me to see my value in so many ways. 

You know that little voice that creeps up inside your head that says "babe, you've got this" or that moment ( visualize hands on your hips, legs apart, superwoman stance, cape blowing in the wind) YES THAT! Mama wants you to  hold on to that with all your might and believe in yourself like the champion you are. Yes, I have my moments when I'm dropping f-bombs (privately) because something is not vibing the way it should ( it's life). I take a breather and then work to see how I can kick the problems booty. Having my own back, keeps me accountable for my actions and inactions. It also let's me acknowledge that things will be okay because I've got my back.

Mama lesson learned: LOVE BIG OR GO HOME

When I visit my Mom, she has a menu laid out of all my favorite meals because as she puts it "baby, they don't feed you enough food in Idaho"...such a  Mom thing right!!! That's the best kind of loving, Mom's home cooking ( insert happy dance here and here). 

What does all this home cooking chatter mean?? If you're going to love, love fully. My Mom shows me her love in the biggest and best way she knows how by taking care of what fills me body and soul. I had to learn this love big thang the hard way a few times because loves great but sometimes it hurts bad, real bad.  So why love big Laura?? Well my awesome peeps, it made me appreciate how awesome it feels when this full love came my way. Not just from my hubby but from the people who care about me in the deepest way. It filters all the other mess out. It's amazing. Having that in my world allowed me to be grateful and appreciate what love means in the realest way. Loving big for me is a all-in commitment not naivety, understanding and being your loves sound board. It's hard, easy and everything in between but so worth it. 

I always thought I would get to this point where I would have this "stuff" figured out or least most of it. Nope, not the case for me. I'm learning all along the way with more clarity as I go. Mama does know best and she's trying to share it in her own way. Some of those lessons go over a bit smoother than others, some I learned in my own way. 

To quote my wonderful stepdaughter Maddie..."Moms are pretty awesome." I couldn't agree more :)

Summer staple: denim shorts

happy place

Warm weather does something amazing to my soul!! It's the Jamaican in me. The sun on my skin and the sight of everything illuminated makes me feel charged! My trip to LA was immersed with so many great experiences, a big one was the fantastic sunshine.

 My friend Jessica of J.Lee Photos took some beautiful photos and is a wealth of knowledge when it comes to places to dine and immerse in laidback LA life. This darling spot is called The Alcove and as a foodie, I was giddy with joy. 

This place was surrounded by flowers and rich green succulents. The simple homey vibe makes you want to hang out  for most of your morning. 

Shorts: Current Elliot      T-shirt: JCrew       Shoes: Madewell

Most of you know that I'm a strong advocate for comfort and style. These Current Elliott denim shorts are a soft denim and I got them a few years back at Fancy Pants in downtown Boise. They have some great new styles that are loved. The fit and length doesn't leave me feeling as if I need to yank them down every 5 minutes ( you know what I mean!!).  My guide to denim shorts is to choose one  with a softer denim, sits on your hip and is slightly loose, like these.  It allows for a shorter length without feeling like you have booty shorts on ;) If you want a bit longer length,  I love these.  They can be rolled up or down to your liking. You can find find similar styles at Piece Unique in downtown Boise.

This grapefruit was picked from Jessica's front yard....LOVE!!!

My Summer wear is light, simple and all about keeping my cool. What are your must have Summer staples??  It's going to be a good one!! :)