Wedding Wear It Again

IMG_7092When you are going to a wedding, it is important to look your best but also feel comfortable for a night of dancing and celebrating! I had been eyeing this dress for months and it finally went on sale at Anthropologie (unfortunately it is sold out now). I justified purchasing a dress I really didn’t need because I have so many weddings this year and it is just perfect to wear to a couple of them because it isn’t white! Surprisingly about 70% of my wedding appropriate dresses are white, so I really need to get my act together.

IMG_7096(High/Low front and back of this lace dress gives it a nice flow)

IMG_7097(It has a subtle snap in the front to keep it all together. This necklace was a gift from my grandparents on my 8th grade graduation- it’s still my favorite)

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I feel like Steve Nicks in this dress and that is never a bad thing! Check your local Anthropolgie to see if they still have this dress in stock, it’s such a beautiful color!

 

Summer Casual.

IMG_7159You may have gathered that I am on a quest to invest in quality pieces that be paired in various ways to create new outfits. This shirt was one that I recently picked up and found versatile enough to wear with jeans and skirts in any season. The last few days have been fairly cool which is the perfect time to pull out a shirt like this and make the outfit pop with a burst of color from my purse! Have I told you how much I LOVE this purse? I hope so, because I love it.

IMG_7163(Shirt- sold out but similar here)

IMG_7162(Purse- Kate Spade, sold out but similar here)

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Weekend wear should be easy so I almost always wear these Franco Sarto shoes. They are easy to slip on and go with most everything.

This outfit would be nothing without this purse, have I told you how much I love it yet? I do!

Wedding Ready.

IMG_7113You guys know what time of year it is- wedding season! Now, I love a wedding as much as the next person but I have nine this year (including my own). This means I needed to shuffle through mu closet and make sure I have what it takes to be a stylish and appropriate guest to all of these parties. Luckily, I wore a wedding dress to my own in May so that was easy to prepare for and I am in my friend Tasha’s wedding at the end of the month so I just have that one taken care of too! Anthropologie just had their major summer sale and I scored big on some dresses that I knew would be perfect for a few particular weddings, plus I had been eyeing these dresses all spring long! Patience does pay off sometimes 😉

IMG_7110(The entire dress is embroidered which is one of my favorite things in the world)

IMG_7119(This collar is magic)

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IMG_7114 Unfortunately Anthropologie is sold out of this dress but you can still catch the end of the sale now!

Have you been to or plan to attend any wedding this summer? Tell us about you plan to wear or any other special details- we would love to hear about them!

Summertime Linen.

IMG_7150While in London on our honeymoon, Nick and I tried to go into British stores to see how they differed. Well, I will tell you that Harrod’s was a true experience and I got turned around pretty easily in that place! While Harrod’s was a lot of fun, it was Hobb’s that I actually made my only purchase in London at. Nick picked out this dress and it is perfect for these sunny summer days that we have been having in the Bay Area.

IMG_7156(I love the wrap on this dress)

IMG_7151(Perfect length for booties)

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Happy Summer!

Goodbye Fall, It’s Been Nice.

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This weekend we walked through downtown Petaluma and you could have sworn we were in Boston by the color of the trees. I had to stop and take pictures of these gorgeous maples turning from green to red.

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Lastly, these gorgeous yellow leaves against the brilliant blue sky.

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It was a beautiful day for primary colors! Now the trees will be leafless and the rain will come, I do love that too!

Engagement Photos.

Chelsea Nick Engagement-Export FIN-0008

I haven’t made a specific mention to this yet but Nick and I got engaged in early April. It’s been fun looking through magazines and getting ideas of what we want our wedding to be like! Our first step was taking engagement photos with a local photographer I found online. Her name is Christine Chen and she captured just what we wanted! She found a great park in Woodside, CA where we shot as the sun was going down. I wanted to share a few of our favorites with you.

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View More: http://christinechenphotography.pass.us/engagement-chelsea-nick

View More: http://christinechenphotography.pass.us/engagement-chelsea-nick

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Overall, we are really happy with the woodsy feel of these photos and love what Christine produced for us.

Santa Barbara Escape.

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I spent last weekend in beautiful Santa Barbara celebrating a good friend’s bachelorette party.  We rented a house in the hills overlooking the ocean and truly had a serene weekend.  The weather was absolutely perfect and we soaked up the sun.

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The view from our coffee deck every morning.  We spent almost all of our time at the house outdoors on this patio.

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Sunset selfie with the bride to be!

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Having the most tasty breakfast on State St here!

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Two of the girls rented a convertible and we were cracking up at our convertible hair.  That’s the way to go when you are driving along the coast!

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Sheena, the maid of honor, enjoying the morning light.

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We rented paddle boards from here!  We paddled out in the ocean and came across these adorable seals!

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Paddle boarding through the harbor.

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The inbetweens enjoying the garden at our house.

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The flowers were so vibrant.

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These beautiful daisies with vibrant centers.

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A day at the beach!

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Strolling through the adorable downtown area.

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We went to tea/champagne at the Four Seasons Saturday afternoon.  The views were gorgeous.

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Everyone got their own pot of tea and a glass of champagne.  We were well stocked on the liquids.

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Some delectable desserts.

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We spent an afternoon cruising around the Funk Zone which was a very hip, small district of restaurants/breweries/wineries.

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Even the bathrooms had awesome art haha.

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Beautiful sunsets.

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And gorgeous nights.

Santa Barbara was a wonderful place for a bachelorette weekend!

Saltwater.

DSC_0496I love to eat. I’m kind of a picky eater, I generally won’t try things that look squishy, slimy, or different.  So, you can imagine it took years for me to try an oyster and they’re actually pretty good. But Saltwater has this magical mixture made of shallots, garlic, champagne vinegar, and lemon juice that adds something special to the already tasty oyster. I wanted to do a mini-review of the restaurant that focuses more on the ambience than the food itself.

DSC_0493(First off, they change their menu daily! We went two days in a row and had amazing meals both times)

DSC_0508(A mini patio is lit with Edison bulbs in antique looking wired frames)

DSC_0495(The restaurant itself is in a home restored to serve as a dining area complete with a porch)

DSC_0515(It is dimly lit with dozens of tea lights)

DSC_0516Quaint places like this are my favorite and in the city we certainly don’t have a shortage! But some of the best places are tucked away not so far from home.

Surfers Sunset.

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Rob and I took a day last weekend to get to Santa Cruz to enjoy the sunshine and we picked the most perfect day to do so.  It was a gorgeous day with a tasty lunch followed by a dynamic sunset.  I know I may be a bit sunset obsessed but the colors always captivate me.  How can you not find enjoyment from this view?!  We soaked it all in at Steamer Lane.

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I’ve always loved the ocean.  The sound, the sight, and just the pure peacefulness.

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Following Rob to the seaside.

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Watching the surfers catch wave after wave.

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The Santa Cruz beach boardwalk lighting up for the night.

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Paradise.

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Am I the only sunset junkie out there?

Tahoe Tuesday.

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This past weekend I was able to spend some time with one of my greatest friends from high school on.  Her and her husband now live in a beautiful area near Tahoe and we spent this past weekend exploring it.  Nothing like a good weekend adventure 🙂

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Of course, we couldn’t leave these two behind!

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We stumbled upon this amazing meadow.

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Making wishes.

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Little dog, big shadow.

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Views for days.

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Stay tuned for pictures of the Crystal Mine we visited!