Happy Halloween!

This past weekend was action packed with Halloween festivities and so I am excited to have a relaxing night in.  I am planning on dressing up in orange and black, making dinner with my boyfriend, and watching "Bride of Frankenstein" while I work on a few crafty projects. I am not a fan of horror movies, but I do really enjoy the older scary movies.  I also bought a lot of candy in the hope that we will have kids coming by to trick-or-treat.  I really hope that they come because otherwise I will be stuck with a giant bowl of chocolate!  I hope that you have a spooky Monday! 

{ A beautiful pumpkin that I saw at the pumpkin carving contest in downtown Santa Barbara. }

{ Loved this shadow idea...so spooky! }

{ My boyfriend carving our pumpkin he did pretty much the whole thing... he did a great job!...I roasted the seeds. }

{ Lots of girls I had over for treats and drinks before dancing, I dressed up as a pumpkin! }

{ Saw this Halloween display at an antique store and loved it! }

Freaky Friday

I am very excited that it is Friday!  Halloween weekend always includes apple cider, candy, and cozying up with a scary movie.  This year I will be dressing up as a pumpkin! In previous years I have never dressed up with the "Halloween theme" (i.e. a witch or a black cat) so I am looking forward to it! Hope that you all have a spooky weekend! 

 { My brother as a train conductor, my sister as the American girl doll Molly, and me as an old-fashioned cheerleader...good times! }

Fashiontoast

Hello everyone! I hope that you are all having a fabulous Thursday.  Like many of you I spend far too much of my time looking at blogs for style inspiration.  One of the blogs that I enjoy following is called fashiontoast.  The author, Rumi Neely, is a model, fashion blogger, photographer, and designer.  I am incredibly envious of how often she gets to travel, but she takes phenomenal photos and so I am glad she shares them with the world! Here are a few outfits from a few of her recent posts...love the tall black pumps, her leopard purse, and ombre hair coloring. Enjoy! 



{This leather skirt is adorable...I am obsessed}

{Striped sweatshirt dressed up with heels...LOVE!}

 { Lace + Black baggy jeans = relaxed and pretty}

{ Leopard Purse... enough said! }

Photos taken from fashiontoast

I Run Because....

I saw these giant chalkboards outside of Lululemon in San Francisco that encouraged people walking by to fill in the following statement "I run because...".  Some of the answers that people came up with cracked me up.  The ones I can most relate to are "It clears my mind", "It makes everything better", and "I'll go crazy if I don't".  When I started out running I would definitely have agreed with the person who wrote "because my mom makes me!". Now I run because it makes me feel fabulous!  What inspires you to exercise?

Chanel Runway

Like every other woman in the world who loves fashion I have always harbored an obsession with Chanel handbags.  I haven't however always been in love with the clothes.  They are always beautifully constructed and classic, but since I love bright colors they haven't ever drawn me in like other collections have.  After seeing the pictures from the Chanel runway show for spring 2012 my opinion has changed.  The pieces are stunning and even though they are not bright I definitely can see myself imitating some of the looks.  I am inspired to look for lady-like suits, subtle sequin detailing, and interesting necklines.  I have also decided to wear my pearls more often! What do you all think of the collection? Have a fabulous Tuesday!

{ Images from Here }

Pumpkin Patch

This past weekend I went with some friends to a pumpkin patch where we all enjoyed a hay ride, a corn maze, and picking a pumpkin to carve!  It was fun to experience a little bit of country in the middle of the city that we live in! 

{Kimmie was so excited about this wagon she pulled it around all afternoon!}

{...so I decided that I would catch a free ride!}

{I loved this garden, my parents this past year have started a big garden at our house and it is amazing!}

{Dressed for the occasion in my "scarecrow" headband from Nordstrom, a green scarf that I got in London a few years ago, and my new Zara sweater that has become a staple in my wardrobe.}

{Pretty ladies lost in a maze of corn... we all eventually got out!}

Novel Idea

After graduating from college I realized that I had almost entirely given up “joy” reading.  I was reading a lot for school and it was interesting and educational…most of the time…but I missed reading a novel just for fun.  Since moving back to Santa Barbara I have been reading a lot more, probably because of the lack of homework. I love silly girly books, but I also am starting to read more intellectually challenging novels.  I have decided that the imagination is a terrible thing to waste! What books do you all love to read? Suggestions are definitely welcome! Have a fabulous weekend! 

Race Time!!

Races are always so much fun! I love being surrounded by thousands of other people in the crisp morning air who are all as excited as I am about running.  Everyone is encouraging and many of the runners have inspiring stories that they are happy to share.  Adrenaline is always high during a race especially in a race like the Nike Women's Marathon where there are people (and drumlines!) all along the course to keep you going.  Here are a few pics of the crowds and exciting festivities! I highly encourage everyone to try to train for, and run, at least one race in their lifetime.  I am convinced that everyone can do it, especially since I just saw on the news that a 100 year old man just completed a full marathon (thats 26.2 miles pepole!!) 

{ Excited runners looking for their names on the wall outside of the Nike store in Union Square }

{ The view from our hotel room of the race starting line around 6:15am. }

Cafe de La Presse

As you already know I love going out for breakfast! And so what could be better than a late morning out at a French breakfast cafe with my mom.  I dressed in an easy going outfit with bold details.  I wore my favorite rich&skinny jeans, a black tank, my new T Los Angeles silk jacket, and leopard loafer style flats.  I love accessories with a simple outfit and so I sported a chunky chain gold necklace, a bold cocktail ring, and my oversized Michael Kors watch.  

Marathon in the City

I am back from my weekend in San Francisco and I had a wonderful time! We relaxed a lot, ate amazing food, shopped, and had a great race!  I ran the half marathon and my mom ran the full 26.2 miles! We ran together and had a fantastic time enjoying the scenery and each others company.  More pictures and details coming soon! Have a fabulous Tuesday.   

Favorite Activities

Hello everyone! I hope that you all have an exciting weekend planned.  Today I drove up to San Francisco for the Nike Women's Marathon.  My mom and I are going to be staying in a boutique hotel by Union Square and we are going to spend the weekend doing some of my favorite activities: carbo loading, shopping, and running! 

{ Image found here }

Fancy Pizza

Pizza is probably my favorite item of food. A few weeks ago my girlfriends went out to Olio Pizzeria for a birthday dinner.  I loved the dark wood bar, stone walls, and exposed pizza oven.  How amazing would it be to have a pizza oven at home?? I wore my new free people dress, which I love and really need to find an excuse to wear again! 

Afternoon at the Harbor

In the middle of a few days that have felt like Autumn there has been a sudden heat wave that has made me crave the beach, smoothies, and sandals.  Dan and I went on a gorgeous walk out to the harbor where we relaxed, looked at all of the boats, and were able to have a lazy "summer" afternoon.  I am still daydreaming about it.  Hope that you all have a fabulous Wednesday!

A New Look

I love my new glasses! I thought that having a rounder face shape meant that I needed to stay away from the cat eye and rounder styles, but after trying on at least a dozen pairs I could not get the D&G frames out of my mind! I am extremely satisfied with my decision and I love how they are completely practical and yet effortlessly chic all at once! Have a fabulous Tuesday!