One of my favorite places in LA? The Farmer’s Market at the Grove (and yes, the Grove is another). I love the stalls and restaurants full of fresh fruits, veggies, and other items. I love the restaurants and little shops (they have a sticker shop!). I love the fountains, the people watching, the whole experience of the Farmer’s Market.
And the best thing about the Farmer’s Market on this visit? This stunning vintage jumpsuit from the Kit Vintage. I fell in love the minute that she posted it on Instagram. It has a vague Prada runway feel-I love the shorts and the over skirt, the metallic, the jacquard, the sleeves, the buttons. It’s simply perfect. I feel like a movie star in it, and that’s a feeling that I will never pass up! Because it’s me, I love the juxatipositon of this jumpsuit at the Farmer’s Market; high fashion meets fruit stands. We had a great time roaming the stalls and playing by the fountains. The jumpsuit? As amazing as it is (and it really and truly is) and all the places it would be great at (parties, dinners, red carpets; you could seperate it and wear the pieces to fabulous things), this jumpsuit fit right in at the Farmer’s Market.
The lesson? Wear what makes you feel special, no matter where you go. What did you wear to the famer’s market this week?
XO RA
This jumpsuit is vintage, from my love The Kit Vintage, I’ve picked some similar options below!
Loves, it’s our second birthday!! (Or close enough!) This journey has been so amazing: the work, the people, the clothes! And I’m so grateful that you’re along for the ride. We’ve been growing, refining our niche, and adding new series’ and your support means so much. The blog has so many exciting things in the works and I’m thrilled to share them with you! You can expect more editorial inspiration and outfit looks Monday’s, Wednesday’s and Friday’s. Tuesday and Thursday we will continue to spotlight brands, stores, and events we love-and hope you love too! Some new series: Designer Spotlight, once a month we’ll chat about a designer we love and Fashion in the Wild, once a month you can expect a video of a fashion trend out in the world (real trends, real reactions, real out there!). Sunday’s you’ll get the same op-Ed piece that’s one of my faves (Sunday Chronicles), other than the last Sunday of the month when I’ll share the ExFiles, horror stories from the dating world.
And loves, it’s our birthday but we’re celebrating you! Are you signed up for our website? Make sure you do, because as part of the celebration every newsletter subscriber will receive 10% to one of our favorite stores, Lively Collective (@livelycollective on Instagram) and be in the running for prizes including a stacking ring set and a snake flannel from Velvet California (like the one I wore here). You’ll get details when you sign up!
We’re off to have a sip of champagne and work on posts, again, thank you loves, from the bottom of my heart!
See some of my fave looks from our journey below, shop my wish list and have some champagne –it’s our birthday!!
Loves, when we think LA we think beaches and boardwalks, Melrose and Beverly Hills; but there are other sides of LA. Colorful, playful sides that deserve to be explored: Downtown, Mid Cities, Korea Town, to name a few. And lucky me, I got to walk Downtown LA in one of my favorite outfits to date. The sites, the colors, the sounds, the endless cars: all were amazing backdrops and fun to explore! We know I love the beach, but my advice? Get out of the sand and get to walking LA, I promise you won’t be the only one, and you’ll love it!
As for the fashion:
This Jcrew graphic tee is the best! It goes with everything, and has just enough attitude to make anything pop.
Todd Oldham pants: Can you believe this print?? It’s fun and festive, I can’t wait to wear it with purple, and it’s simply iconic. If you missed it, I wrote about Todd yesterday, you can catch up
Armani shoes: Graphic, vintage, classic
Zara bucket bag: Perfect for summer, surprisingly roomy, it’s become my go to!
Where are you walking today?
XO RA
I found the shoes and pants at Recess, shop my picks below!
There’s something magical about the heavens, and there’s something magical about putting the heavens on a fantastic dress! The details of the dress are simply stunning-from the embroidery to the cut-outs (I’m usually not a big fan of the cold-shoulder silhouette, but when it’s done right, it’s amazing), the flow, and loves, this dress has pockets!! This dress, seeing stars and all, is perfect for date night, events, and cultural outings. It would look just as great with flats as heele, making the options endless!
Happy Monday!
XO RA
This dress was a vintage find at Recess and shot by Katy Shayne at LACMA! If you’ve never been to LACMA, I highly recommend it. There is the iconic light fixture in front (I’m sure you’ve seen some of that on Instagram), but don’t ignore the rest of the grounds! Besides a stunning collection of artwork, LACAMA is host to gardens, this rock struture; and is attached to the LA Tar Pits, where you can find dinosaur like finds! Anything on these grounds would be magical, I just have a soft spot for stars!
A few years ago, in my acting career, I was debating whether or not to take a part that I had been offered. I had just completed a role similar to the one on the table, and the new role didn’t feel right. However, as a creative, I was deathly afraid to say no to any job; I was scared that the opportunity would never come back around. My manager at the time sat me down and told me a truth, “Your life and career are shaped by not only what you do, but what you say no to”. While this was great advice at the time-the part was truly not right for me-but this advice on saying no has been a game changer for me.
Loves, in all honesty, saying no is not something that comes easily to me. There’s still a part of me that fears that if I say no to one opprotunity that it will not be replaced by another. I also hate letting people down and sometimes feel pressure to do things for others. I don’t always say no gracefully,saying no is not a skill that I’ve mastered. However, beyond realizing that our lives can be shaped by what we say no to, the other light bulb moment for me was realizing that Saying to one thing may mean saying yes to what you really want. Because loves, we only have so much and if we spend our time avoiding saying no, we only end up saying no to what we really want.
It’s true in all areas.
Want steak for lunch? You can’t order pizza.
Want to date Bob? You can’t keep saying yes to Ted.
Want to own a Gucci store? You can’t sell Hanes t-shirts.
And loves, in all cases there’s nothing wrong with either choice, but if saying yes to what we don’t want leaves us saying no to what we really want–let’s make sure we’re saying no, or yes, to the right things. Ok. So how? Well, I’m working on it, but this is what I’m learning so far:
Be Clear About What You Want
Vision, planning, goals, whatever you call it, you have to know what you want to get it. And yes, over time this might change, but think long and hard about what you really want. Be specific. When you know exactly what you want/love/need, it’s a bit easier to say yes or no to opprotunities accordingly.
Take Time
I have a bad habit of thinking that I need to reply to every request in a timely manner. And, yes, that’s polite and sometimes needed. However, there’s no need to rush an answer; when I do I often end up saying yes when I mean no–and loves, let’s be honest, that never ends well for anyone. I think it’s ok to take a minute to really think things through and decide what’s best for you. Worried about the person on the other end of the request? Let them know you need some time to think things over, set a time to decide; and if they aren’t ok with that, it may inform your answer.
What’s Meant For You Won’t Pass You By
I’ve been a creative my entire life; and I still worry about opprotunies coming, coming back, what I’m doing with my life. And while those may be worth while trains of thought–they aren’t always productive. A mentor of mine is adamant that what’s for you won’t pass you by, that if you’re working towards what you want, things will happen for you. This can be hard to trust, but I find when I can, it works. Chances can be like exes–they always come back. So work hard, say no to what you have to, and trust your opprotunies will come around for you.
How do you say no? Any tips for me?
Wishing us all a week of the right yeses and amazing shoes! XO RA
Loves, it’s International Women’s Day! And I hope that today is one where you get pampered and appreciated if you’re a woman; and man or woman that you let the women in your life know that you appreciate them. However you spend the day, I hope you take a moment to realize how much the women in our lives add to society.
I love designer clothes, high fashion, and outfits that stand out. Not new information, I know. And for years I have longed for a way to indulge my high-end tastes in an affordable way (yes, I see nothing wrong with wearing Gucci everyday). In what seems like an answer to prayers is Couture Collective. More than a place to shop, Couture Collective allows me to “share” designer items I choose for a season. What does this mean? I get the pieces I love at a fraction of the cost, I don’t have to worry about closet space, and there’s always something new to wear! It’s a fashion lovers dream!
Couture Collective doesn’t run on the typical “rent for the night” model, although that’s an option as well. Each season, Members reserve the items that they love from the Collective, for 20% of retail, reserve when they would like the item, and send the item in when they are done with it! Reservations are on a first come, first serve basis and last up to 2 weeks, but if the item is free for evening, you can request it. There’s no pressure to buy at the end of the season, you simply choose what you would like to “share” for the next season. And loves, Membership is free!
There’s a selection of black tie and ready to wear pieces (with everything in between), and as the site grows we can expect more sizes. (This Collective originally started in NYC as a way for the fashionable set to get their fashion fix and not wear the same thing at events. Supporting other women in business- count me in!) Each season will be a little different, for the Spring we can get excited for more accersories.
Need something for a night? Not into sharing? Couture Collective has you covered! The site does offer one night rentals, which is perfect for party season. There’s also an option to buy a piece from the current season (seasons last for 6 mths) for a fraction of the price, it will be sent to you when the season is over. AND all items from past seasons are available for immediate purchase at a reduced rate!
The options with Couture Collective are limitless, and allow me to get my fashion fix at a fraction of the cost. I’m in love! Below see some of my picks, and you can sign up at <a href=”www.couturecollective.com”target=”_Blank”>Couture Collective</a> .
Loves, we love to be busy, don’t we? (Looking for a convo about busy? I think this, this, and my piece here are great reads). And yes, our society loves busy, it’s’ praised. A facet in that complex relationship? Multitasking. I do it, you do it, we all do it. To be as busy as we all love to be, we have to do it. And there are times when multitasking is good, helpful and works. However, loves, when we multitask are there times when we are doing too much and not getting anything done?
I’ve been thinking a lot about multitasking lately, and how I want to focus my attention. I have big goals and long to-do lists, like I’m sure you do. And there are times when doing two things (or more) at the same time is great. I can clean house and bake and listen to a podcast at the same time. I can watch football and do laundry, so skim social media. There are things that don’t need my full attention and I can get so many things done. However, there are also times when multitasking doesn’t work for me, and when I do more than one thing at a time I find I get nothing done. From writing posts to movies I really want to see, my workouts to time with friends, there are things that need, and deserve my full attention. There are times when multitasking stresses me out, when I have so much going on that I feel as if I can’t make progress on anything.
I’m sure that there are methods for being better at multitasking. I’m sure that there are ways to do all the things at the same time and get everything done. My method? I’m stopping with the multitasking. I’m committing to giving the things that require my full attention my full attention. I’m being present, and doing some things one at a time whole-heartedly instead of a dozen things half-heartedly. And loves, I actually feel as if I’m getting more done. Easy? Probably easier than you think. There’s no true “method” here, I’m simply being ok with doing one thing at a time. The movie I really want to watch? I enjoy it, instead of trying to catch up online at the same time. Chores, work, projects, I allot myself to sit down and focus on just that one thing. It turns out, when I focus and give myself to something, I get it done faster than trying to give myself to 20 things at a time. Does this mean I never multitask anymore? No. But, it does mean that I’m actively trying not to–and I’m enjoying that ride!
I’d love to know–what are your thoughts on multitasking?
AND It’s Martin Luther King Weekend! In that spirit, might I suggest the movie “Hidden Figures”? I loved it! It’s not only a great peak into some of the black heroes who helped get us to space, I loved that the women portrayed were smart and capable, and that was their story, not a romantic one. Take a girl you love! I also love visiting museums on holidays, and personally plan to begin to clean out my closet. What do you have going on?
