Classic Style

When you’re so over the cold and the first sign of Springtime comes, it’s quite exciting – well at least that’s what I used to think when I lived in a place with seasons. But the feeling is still there for me, despite LA’s steady temps of 75-ish degrees pretty much all year round. The pastels, the wake up from the post holiday slug, the pretty new blooms (that does actually happen in Los Angeles) all tend to help me feel a little revived and really just more excited for summ

Nobody does beach art quite like Gray Malin , and once again, he has completely knocked it out of the ball park with his very recent collaboration with the Coral Casino Beach Club in Santa Barbara . The series just screams summer and is perhaps another accurate portrayal of California dreaming. I love the coral and pink tones against the very bright blue sky and pool. Like all of Gray’s art, taking a look just immediately transports you into somewhere absolutely beautiful,

1. Valentine’s /Galentine’s Day… Some may disagree but I thoroughly enjoy this holiday and always have – boyfriend or no boyfriend. And with the rise in popularity for a Galentine’s Day celebration, this card company and florist driven holiday has become more inclusive for anyone who celebrates love. Last year my friends and I had an adorable and delicious Galentine’s Day party at home and I must say it wasn’t too different from any other girls night in, but oh you know how I

Hello lovers… so you know I’m a sucker for a holiday and whether I am in a relationship or not, I will always LOVE Valentine’s Day! I love the candy, the pinks/reds, the paper valentines that I still send despite being 28 years old. I love that it prompts people to do something sweet and serve as a reminder of just how much you care. And I love the idea of having Galentine’s Day , as another excuse to celebrate one of the most important relationships you can have; friendship

This is a new series  I have been meaning to add for a long time now to Gisele Chic. I thought it would be fun to share a mini snapshot of my plans for the weekend, let me know what you think! And as always reccomendations are uber welcome! Enjoy! SEE: The new film Phantom Thread staring Daniel Day-Lewis about a 1950’s post war dressmaker and set in London of course. The appeal of this film for me needs no explanation because obviously I’m drawn into any film about fashion,

As much as a love trying new restaurants, Valentine’s Day is often a hard holiday for a romantic dinner. Places tend to be crowded, overpriced and dare I say, cheesy? For me Valentine’s Day is about appreciating the people in your life that you love, whether that’s friends, family, a lover, a furry friend and spending some quality time together. It’s not about the gifts (although I have a guide for that too), but rather the message, which should always be the very clichè but

Remember… when we used to send each classmate and friend a Valentine? I know it wasn’t a super conscious choice but the message was great, sending a little love to the people we surround ourselves with. A nice little reminder of friendship and gratitude. I happen to love a card, for any reason. Anytime someone can take the time to put some nice words on paper, emoji free, it’s a very thoughtful gesture that doesn’t take much time or money, but for me, means a lot. Hence why I

As a helping professional and self-proclaimed fashionista, I love when both charity and fashion come together – and  Indego Africa has done this, seamlessly. They are a non-profit organization run from NYC that partners with women from Rwanda and Ghana to create beautiful things, with all the profits going back to the education and employment of the creators. Indego Africa started in 2008 and since then, 89% of the women producing these lovely products have risen from pover

And they’re instagrammable too… Every city has its restaurants, museums, landmarks, and hotels that give you some insight into the people and culture. But one of the things I love to do in a new city is visit the cafes and coffee shops, the place where people kind of dwell, work, meet, who live in and take part in the creation of the vibe of the city. Los Angeles has an interesting coffee scene as so many of it’s residents are freelancers, writers, bloggers or fall under the

This West Village Apartment  by  Fernando Santangelo   is everything I ever dreamed of in a New York apartment and it’s no wonder that his work was featured in  Architectural Digest  last month. I absolutely love the subtle blue, perfectly fit for a sophisticated yet soothing place to live in the city. This shade could put me to sleep in two seconds just as much as it could inspire numerous cocktail parties that go deep into the night. I just love the use of shelving for book

Piggy Vacation…  Yes, you read right, we took a vacation, with a cute little pig (aka my boyfriend’s frenchie) Pierre, in my absolute favorite town in California, Carmel by the Sea . I’ve been to the very quaint and cozy destination many times, but this was my first time bringing a dog and I must say, he was very much welcomed! If you have been to Carmel, the little slice of California heaven just about two hours south of San Francisco and neighboring the equally as beautifu

A s we move into a new year I am not as keen on setting resolutions or goals as I am about reflecting on the last year, particularly the good things that happened and the lessons I have learned. This year for me was pretty great, I started a really significant relationship, became more confident in a new role of mentoring students, strengthened friendships and (hopefully) found more focus blogging. Perhaps the most significant difference this year, making it stand out amon

The bright colors just make me so happy to look at. All I can think of is what statement earring to wear with my bathing suits and loose dresses at night. It’s been a long hard year and hopefully you all have some rest and relaxation planned in the near future. I was just in Miami and felt all the good winter vacation vibes inspiring this guide. For the many lucky warm-weather bound I have compiled a big list of all the best vacation essentials. Just looking at all the bright

Oh the glam this season, so many holiday soirées and cocktail frocks to find. So I made a little guide of some, not so basic, dresses 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 I love that can work for most events, including New Year’s Eve, the night I always forget to find an outfit for and then end up running to the mall after Christmas frantically with all the other haggard post holiday shoppers. I am also introducing a new section to my blog, the SHOP tab, which will

Every year the holidays roll around and in addition to the many gifts and treats I make for friends and family, I always seem to forget about my co-workers. Fortunately after starting to work as real adult five years ago I started giving out these little jars of heaven that are super easy and relatively inexpensive to make. I love that they are homemade and therefore convey an extra special touch most store bought gifs seem to lack. They also don’t take much time and look ado

The pink coat… has been a staple of mine since I was thirteen and ordered a hot pink one from Delia’s , the CATALOGUE , literally after filling in the last page with the item numbers and mailing the request. At that time pink wasn’t as popular, but thankfully Legally Blonde came out shortly after, making me look like the young fashionista I always knew I was deep down. As you can see the trend still continues and both my mom and I are fully on board (see below). After getting

It’s the most wonderful time  … of the year! This month’s M List is dedicated to the many fun things I am excited to do this winter. Los Angeles might not seem like the most Christmas-like city but people do in fact get excited for the holiday season and the good weather tends to help us celebrate just a little more outside. So aside the many holiday parties and actual celebrations are the more exciting days leading up, when we are perhaps the most hopeful and excited, the th

A great gift… for me is anything I really love but most likely wouldn’t get for myself. There are so many things we need on a daily basis or will get more use out of. But I really like the gifts that aren’t so practical, but rather thoughtful or fun, frivolous and of course personalized. 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5  | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11  | 12 | 13  | 14 | 15  | 16 | 1 7 So from truffle cream brie to monogrammed dog beds, Fortnum and Mason hampers to silky pajama sets, pi

As you know… I am not much of a cook. I do try to refrain from eating mounds of quick meals from Postmates or Whole Foods by preparing myself chicken, quinoa, and veggies as much as possible, but I by no means enjoy it. So when the holidays roll around (or just another Monday night) I like to stick with what I’m good at; pouring the drinks and throwing together a fabulous cheese plate. So in the sprit of the season, I created my lovely little fall inspired cheese plate. As pe

A pretty pink peacoat … makes the dreary sweater weather in New York so much more bearable, I’d imagine. I was secretly happy about cooler temps during my stay in NYC last week, as they appear to be fleeting in Los Angeles. When I planned for this trip I really wanted layers and fortunately this coat is thin enough to lay nicely over a thick and cozy sweater, without being bulky. Mine is from last year but I linked a very similar and reasonably priced option here . Its also