Olive Juice: Valentine's Day Edition

As much as I love beginning a new year I always find myself getting anxious when Valentine's Day is around the corner.

As you all know by now I have an abnormal obsession for holidays. My friends have always made fun of me for it but in the end they all value my weird shaped cupcakes and unnecessary cheesy decor I was inspired from a photo off Pinterest(epic fail).

For Valentine's day though I am never in control. Well, unless I don't have a crush at the time and my day is spent on baking too many cookies with my girlfriends and having one too many bottles of wine (each). But in reality Valentine's day is a gift for the girl. It is so hard for me to sit down and be complacent to a man (out of all people) taking over a holiday with my unrealistically high expectations.

To let my mind at ease though I focus less on the actual holiday and more on the outfit, naturally.

This Valentine's day I am grasping on to French Connection as my muse. They have so many of those LBD's we all lust for in our closet. Although I love the classic date night wear this year I wanted to go a little outside the box. My first real winter in NYC has been filled with dark color cashmere and leather. I want to go back to my California girl look and opt for a white lace dress with a splash of red ( because I have to be spirited, duh!).

For the dress I picked out the Nebraska Lace Dress. I love the exposed skin on the quarter sleeve and the way the lace drops at the bottom. It is so feminine and sexy in all the right ways.

Since it is still freezing in NYC I have to bring a coat even if it is just to go in and out of my Uber to the restaurant. As a California girl a coat is needed for anything below 65 degrees. But I took this opportunity to pop a little vday color into the wardrobe. You see many girls trying to wear red dresses for Valentine's Day but for me I think it is a little too much. I always like to look subtle and classy for date night. I am currently obsessing over this Imperial Imperial Wool Oversized Coat!

Maybe it's because it's on sale or that the name of the color is burnt whiskey(my fav drink) but I've been eyeing this bad boy for a while and what a better opportunity to buy it!

Since the dress is delicate and the jacket is vibrant I wanted to go for a nude pump so these Elvia Heels were perfect!

Another purchase I have been eyeing was this textured white Ines Crossbody Bag I have an obsession for white and I think it would really compliment the dress and look amaze with the red coat. (and also with my new spring wardrobe I have already planned out on a board on Pinterest).

With this outfit I was just going to throw on my go-to gold watch in addition to this subtle but modern Rectangle Bar Cuff because you don't want to distract the attention from the dress.

So whether it is dinner with some cute guy or drinks with the girls. This outfit is the perfect vday attire for any occasion!

(all items are from http://usa.frenchconnection.com/)

This post is a part of a sweepstakes with prizes! For more info visit click HERE

xx

A very Merry CALI Christmas

As I sit here in three layers of Uniqlo's signature heat protecting clothing I can't help but think of the warm California sunshine.

It is currently in the teens in New York which means your face is completely numb within the first block you walk. Any desire to look fashionable has gone out the window and you find yourself grabbing those long johns your grandma bought you that you used to make fun of (thank goodness you decided not the trash them during spring cleaning). And to top it off your social life turns into binge drinking at home with your cat watching Netflix(it's not as dreamy as it sounds I promise).

Welcome to January in New York City ladies and gentlemen.

For Christmas this year I decided to pack my bags and head back to the good ol' west for a very Merry California Christmas. When booking my ticket I was a bit hesitant because I began to believe LA was too boring for me now. I am now an avid New Yorker, who wears black all day and can't help but be a backseat driver to the annoying cab drivers trying to make an extra buck by going the long way. I decided to come for one week although my break was over a month long. Why would I want to spend my New Years in California when anyone and everyone was going to be in NYC?

 The week went by too fast to say the least, During the days me and the girls hopped from one brunch to another while escaping to Santa Anita race tracks for opening day. As we sipped on one too many complimentary champagnes (and even more vodka shots) the past memories with these girls felt like yesterday. I almost forgot how much fun my life in LA actually was.

In my first post I expressed how the duration of my time in California I was desperate to seek more with my life that I actually forgot to enjoy the NOW, the present. We constantly are looking for the next best thing whether it is with work, relationships, cities, exc. that we forget how amazing is right now, at this current place and time. I want you right now to look up and around at your surroundings. Think of your life now, every little detail. And never forget this time of your life because whether you plan on changing your life completely this year or staying the exact same there is something so beautiful and raw with today, this week and this year already that we often overlook.

California was, and despite my snooty New York attitude, still is beautiful. Still is a home of mine and still lingers in my heart and all the memories with it. This last trip back home added many more memories from sing-alongs in the car to serious conversations with my dad over a nightcap on the couch. As I sip on my cappuccino hoping that somehow it will take me back to the sunny and 75 LA winter. I will miss California today, and maybe tomorrow but I will continue to put on my down coat and not let a little bad weather ruin this very moment.

Because, hey, you never know where you'll end up soon (mostly with my track record of one way tickets).

And the every-so-popular Karlin's last advice
never, every take for granted In-N-Out burger (shake shack doesn't compare!)

bon voyage babes
xx

Sex and the City

I began the new year in a new place in Manhattan, with a new goal in mind and with a new job. As I was walking the dogs I came across a local house that people always took photos of so one day I decided to google it.

Ironically enough, I found out what it was and now I am currently 2 blocks away from the famous house from Sex and the City. I have never been into the show but naturally being in a group of friends I was always the "Carrie". I wasn't quite sure why but always accepted it because she was the main character with a keen sense of style. As I believe in fate I decided to finally begin watching the ever-so-famous click flick TV show.

Last night after I finished one of my other New Years resolution (which was finally stop seamlessing and cook again) I poured myself a glass of wine and indulged in one too many sees candies while finally beginning the Sex and the City episodes.

After the line "Abso-fucking-lutely" I became hooked.

I'm not saying my life is by any means as glamorous as the girl squad in the show but I can definitely relate to a lot of it.

1. Being single in the city during the time where all your friends are in serious relationships.
2.Struggling with your life goals while everyone seems to be breezing through life so effortlessly.

I began not only relating myself to the show but learning from it.

When I heard Sex and the City I got the idea that the show was about a group of rich ladies who just enjoyed the city and the amazing things it has to offer, which is kind of what every outsider thinks about New York before you move here. But it really shows the importance of an independent strong woman in the city which I value a lot mostly in a city this intimidating. Their life isn't perfect but during each bump in the road they are there for each other which is the key to living in New York.

As this year is probably going to be the biggest one yet of my life, beginning a dream-like job at French Connection and FINALLY graduating college, I feel like Sex and the City found its way to myself for a purpose, for an inspiration and most importantly for a rule guide of how to survive New York and make it your b*tch (pardon my French). There is so much to look forward to in 2015 and so much major decisions to be made I am eager to see where this crazy thing called life takes me.

As for now I will cuddle up in the couch and see how Carrie feels about the "Valley of the Twenty-something Guys" which seems overridingly ironic...while mayyyybe nibbling on just one more sees candy (but I'll do sit ups later!!)
... another resolution of mine...

But Before I do a little Karlin advice for all of y'all...
I have asked many what their resolutions are for the new year and many just laugh and said they haven't thought about it. Although I have quite a few, I really do encourage everyone to at least have one or two. Resolutions aren't just silly ideas that aren't reachable (like looking like a VS model) but rather think of them as goals you would like to accomplish within this year. When you ALWAYS strive to be a better you then you are the happiest you, I pinky promise.

'til next time friends
xx