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Jess

MADEWELL | FALL 2016

It’s been a minute since I blogged about fashion but since Fall has made a quick appearance this week in Atlanta I’m thinking of how this year’s Fall/Winter wardrobe’s going to go.

Off the bat I can say, denim, DUH. Always include denim, as well as wools and leathers. But this year’s specific vibes are a little different. More sporty as I’m loving hightop sneakers, little tomboy, but most importantly: functional.  Since I’ve gotten my closet down to what some would call capsule wardrobe size and others would say “sparse” I want to remain intentional about what I bring in for the upcoming seasons.

Few weeks back while attending a Frye event at Ponce City Market I popped into the Madewell to check out the change over from Summer to Fall.  I said to Dustin “I could wear every single piece!” which I’m pretty certain scared him because he knows it’s pricey :P So in love with the new roll outs, here are my favorites from the current lookbook:

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After wearing this length in a jumpsuit from Anthro, I’m curious to try on this style of jean. Could be fun with ankle boots.

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Never been a lover of pink but this blush tone has been inspiring photos lately so I’m down to try in my clothing mix.

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Give me all the stripes, especially in black and white.

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In Europe the Adidas comeback was strong and it’s appearing to have made it’s way here as well. Since I already have several pairs of white sneakers, I’m into this reverse black with white style.

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Haven’t stopped wearing white since Labor Day came and went, and don’t plan to! Winter whites for the win.

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I like all these pieces individually and especially admire the layering, said it in seasons past, but I feel like I’m finally getting the hang of layering. Love this idea with a long sleeve dress.

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Picking up 70s vibes here and am so ok with it! Been rocking a bandana myself a lot lately too.

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If mixed differently, these items could be basic but this outfit is anything but. It’s pretty much everything I described in the opening paragraph: sporty, tomboy, functional.

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My favorite sweater last year came from Madewell. Now they’re making sweater skirts, yes!

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Again, had a very similar jacket to this last year too and am still crazy about it! Not complaining they’re bringing back great pieces with some alterations to them.

These may seem pretty casual to you and you might not be jumping for joy thinking about trying them on and adding to your wardrobe like I am, but Madewell brand gets me. If they get you as well then lets go shopping! Now through 10/14 Shopbop is having their Main Event Sale to help get you ready for cold weather and they have a great selection of Madewell as well as loads of other brands! See all details here.

CALIFORNIA | JOSHUA TREE NATIONAL PARK

This was the shortest part of the trip but maybe my favorite, this place is MAGICAL. Everyone needs to get out there and see the Joshua Tree National Park!

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Our original plan for Saturday was to get up and enjoy the pool a bit then head back to Los Feliz for a lunch Court had planned. After chatting it up with Aleksandra, we both got really excited about the possibility of seeing Joshua Tree.  Ultimately decided it was worth skipping the luncheon and making the trek out to the real deal desert. We knew it was too hot to go out there during peak heat hours so we killed time on the Palm Springs strip. IT WAS A JOKE.  Felt like we were in Orlando or somewhere even cheesier.  Silly souvenir shops and overall not good shopping.  Best thing we found were the sunglasses in these photos, pretty stoked on these especially for $6, but still we both wish we would have skipped that and spent time around Joshua Tree’s strip instead. Live and learn!

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Steson hat, cheapo shades, Free People X Trunk Ltd. shirt

When we got to the entrance it was the perfect lighting.  But there was a line to get in I mean, who would have thought at 6pm…. By the time we got in I was in “we’re missing premo light!!!” panic mode. For real, acting like a crazy person.  In my defense, it was so dreamy and I knew if I didn’t get hyped up I could lose the chance to get some great shots but I could have kept it a little more chill.  As mentioned in the last post, sometimes you just gotta enjoy life and not worry with photos but occasionally that thought goes out the dang window and I’m a weirdo.  That day, I was in that form.  Unfortunately, Court had to deal with it but turned it around with her amazing positivity and all was good!

She got me to step back and think “this is beautiful and I need to enjoy and capture what I can with the time we have” while learning that for the next time, get there with a lot of timing to explore and choose what location is most photogenic.  So take it from our hiccup, the place is gigantic and there are so many different areas and rock formations. We pulled over at the first pretty looking spot and I hit the ground running (literally.)

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This dude scared us half to death! What looks like a rock in the desert, may not be a rock, watch where you step!

This dude scared us half to death! What looks like a rock in the desert, may not be a rock, watch where you step or sit!

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I really do have this thing with plants <3

I’ll never forget the first time I saw one of these wacky plants back in 2007.  In route to Las Vegas on a buddy pass I got trapped in Phoenix and had to rent a car and drive to Vegas. Though it was annoying I was immediately thankful because the ride was so scenic! Tall-as-houses cacti and joshua trees. I was in love and been infatuated with cactuses ever since.

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The lighting changed so much, kinda crazy that all these pics were taken in about an hour. The skies turned from gold to pink to a faded blue then got all kinds of MORE BEAUTIFUL like above. I’d love to take Dustin back and go camping (maybe glamping…) for a few days and get a longer experience. Thankful for the time we did get!

NEXT UP: some Greece, finally..

Happy almost weekend!

 

CALIFORNIA | PALM SPRINGS + ACE HOTEL

Cali recap continues…
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When I got to LA I asked Court if she’d be down for a mini getaway in Palm Springs and though last minute, she was up for the adventure! I booked us a one night stay at the Ace Hotel and we drove up on Friday afternoon arriving around 3:00pm and immediately got poolside food.

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Super yum fish tacos: CHECK
Organic margarita: CHECK
109 degrees: CHECK
POOL: DUH.

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Our room was in the 300’s area so just right across from the pool, where we were the majority of the time. Did a lot swimming and sun bathing for the 1.5 days we were there. Learned a lesson very quickly about the importance of shoes on the concrete after burning both bottoms of my feet pretty badly. But also realized I wasn’t the only fool that had to learn the hard way, so many people running for the cold water once feeling the lava ground!

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The mountains around Palm Springs are so interesting.  They don’t have a lot of vegetation on them, it is the desert afterall, so they look like a big ol pile of dirt and rocks. Court and I joked they looked man-made, but for real, they do!  Pretty great backdrop even if someone did create them :P

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Ace Hotel, Palm Springs CA

Cozy lobby with all it’s macrame glory.

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First afternoon while chilling poolside I see this chick walk in and grab a sun chair. I immediately freak and tell Courtney “omg omg omg, this girl I follow on IG who’s a wood worker in Oakland just walked in!” I’m fairly certain I got more excited about spotting her than any celeb I’ve ever come across. I mean she’s a self made boss lady who has amazing style, eye for photos, artwork and I’ve been admiring her for a long time!  I decide not to bug her but just simply say “I admire your work” and I do and she’s so nice she ends up hanging with us!

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Aleksandra and Courtney chatting it up about their amaze Instagram accounts

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Over margs and snacks (not just any snack, DISCO FRIES!) we got to know more about her and visa versa.  There was this moment I thought and then someone said out loud “this is golden hour, you cool with missing shots during this time?” and without hesitation I knew I wanted to just live in the moment and keep having girly talks about boys and life.  So often do I let photos control my focus and sometimes it’s just more rewarding to live in the real life moments. More on this in next post..

As I’ve tried to search the web for these “disco fries” I’m not sure where they came from, french fry heaven perhaps? All I know is, they are deep fried potatoes with some sort of meat gravy on top! images

So yea, hanging with her was unexpected and awesome! Turns out she was in town for a pop up shop she was having the following day. SCORE!

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Kings Highway, Ace Hotel, Palm Springs CA

Morning after our long night I walked down to the connected restaurant, King’s Highway, for some strong coffee and avocado toast.

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The other brand was Freda Salvador, a beautiful shoe line based in San Fran and handcrafted in Spain

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Of course I was the first customer at the pop up shop! Snagged two of her mini triangles for the new house :)

After one last pool sesh we got cleaned up, checked out and went and found the famous pink door as well as explore the Palm Springs shopping situation.

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Palm Springs, CA

But first, cacti:

But first, cacti

Courtney was laughing so hard when I brought up the door and she realized someone actually lives there, but yall, it’s on Google maps as “that pink door” ! It’s a real thing, or at least to crazy blogger girls… She snap-chatted me running around with the caption “creeper” which may be true but…

then I snapped this and she realized the power of the pink door!

The house itself was just ok, they had really nice grass (well, the whole neighborhood did since it doesn’t grow naturally they do a lot for the upkeep) but ya, house is just alright. That door though, makes it! Wish we could have jumped out the car and taken a photo of each home on that street, it’s the best combo of mid-century meets Florida. But then again I was sweating through my shirt and afraid my camera was going to overheat!

Definitely need to return for a longer stay at the Ace or one of the other surrounding hotels, or, even get a place off Airbnb.  Have a whole mid-century house to ourselves! A pool is a must tho.

Next up: Joshua Tree National Park!

CALIFORNIA | LA + SILVERLAKE

Holy moly it’s been a month since I’ve blogged. Been keeping friends and followers up to speed on Instagram and Snap but sadly, blogging was put on the back burner while traveling and living a crazy nomad life. To catch you up, since August 1st we’ve been bouncing around from various friend’s homes while we wait for our new house. It’s been a long 51 days of living out of suitcases and on other people’s beds. ‘Ready to have our own place’ is the understatement of 2016.  So, since we were already living out of a suitcase we took it upon ourselves to travel. First stop was a a solo trip out to California to visit my girlfriend Courtney in Los Angeles.  I flew out on a Wednesday, chilled and caught up that night then the following day we worked out, ran into Pauly Shore (ya, he was a creeper) and then went to be extras for a Tegan and Sara music video.  Don’t want to say too much about the video because I signed a bunch of papers saying I wouldn’t but here’s some behind the scenes:

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This is what we sweated in, err, I mean wore!  That day was 109 degrees and felt every bit like it was in the 100s. We were dying in the popup tent that served as the extra’s hang out spot. At one point  I broke down and grabbed a way-too-short vintage slip and put it on over these tights and heels and kept talking in a heavy smoker accent like I was serving beverages in an old brothel. Make lemonade right? While I was looking like a hussy, Court had her ALL RAYON EVERYTHING dress half off with a borrowed tank from a model chick. Laughing just thinking about it! But for real, we are from the South and were in literal hell. If only the Snaps from this day still lived on…

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I wore these fun retro shades and sky high (for me at least..) Seychelles heels.

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Another extra was the ridiculously cool, Felicity Jayn Heath. She and her Nasty Gal tee won best in show IMO! (back says “easy go”!)

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After a long and sweaty day on set (ok, that sounds pretty cool right?!) it was cocktail time! Court took me to one of her favorite spots, Sawyer.

Sawyer, 3709 W Sunset Blvd

Besides having amazing cocktails and brussels sprouts, the aesthetic was so rad! The collection behind her in this pic is basically a mood board for my LIFE.

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Seconds Count- gin, champagne, lavender honey, lemon and bee pollen.

After Sawyer we met up with one of her friends and went to a warehouse party that was really cool. Reminded me of something I’d attend here in Atlanta. Big warehouse space with about a dozen artists that rent bays and every now and again open it up for shows. I was mostly impressed with the fact they had a free open bar!

On Friday we went to Palm Springs and had quiet the adventure but I’m skipping that for now and saving for next post because I want this to be all Silverlake :)

Sunday, Courtney and another nutrition blogger hosted a free Soul Cycle class in downtown. Even though I bike at the gym around 12 miles a week, I was pretty nervous.  I mean...LOS ANGELES…fitness…beautiful people…intense exercise…But it wasn’t bad!  I sweated several gallons and was sore for the following 4 days but I made it! After the workout we went to Cafe Gratitude for some healthy grub.

Cafe Gratitude, 300 S Santa Fe Ave

I swear it was like someone took the vibes I want in our new house and put them into a restaurant! Everything from the floors to the color palette spoke to me.

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I’m not trying to pick up another failed hobby so I’ll leave the macrame’n for the pros on Etsy and just hunt one of these wall hangings down!

In anticipation of Greece I got the “Content” a Greek quiche served in the cutest cast iron skillet. So healthy and so good!

During the brunch I got to chat with a bunch of really smart and driven women. Most were nutrition bloggers like Courtney and one is following her dream and opening up a restaurant.  I joke but I’m actually serious, I think I went to LA and lost weight. Besides the fancy drinks, it was one of the healthiest trips yet!

The Black Cat, 3909 Sunset Blvd

After getting cleaned up I met an Atlanta girl friend of mine, Ciara, over at The Black Cat.  Wish I had taken a photo of the bar chairs and table tops but they were filled with people trying to enjoy themselves so the next best thing was the ceiling. We had pre-shopping drinks here and then came back for dinner. I’m starting to think of myself as a brussels sprouts connoisseur because if they are on the menu and seem fancy, I’m getting them! The ones here and Sawyer were so dang yummy.

Our initial plan was to go “boutique hopping” and I was going to do this huge recap on my favorites but after I bought two things I was done spending money and really just wanted to sit and visit with Ciara on my last full day. Blogging is fun but enjoying life is also important and that day yielded lots of memories without being a slave to this site.

Besides, I really liked Silverlake and didn’t want to leave.  Probably (again with an Atlanta reference) but it really did just remind me of hanging in one of our little communities like EAV or Poncey-Highlands. Good energy and people.

ReForm School, 3902 Sunset Blvd

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Ciara and I may live on different coasts but we’re always hitting each other up for questions like “should I buy this or this?” or “what do you think, worth it?” and “this IG’ers amazing, girl crush for sure!” Too bad we got closest after she left but since I’m not going anywhere and Atlanta is part home for her, we’re set to hang more!

And plus she’s fun as hell!

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From ReForm School I got an arrow keychain from a husband and wife duo I’ve followed for some time, All Roads. The other boutique I went in was Mohawk General Store. I got a Kathleen Whitaker thread through earring of my dreams! With the help of my girl friend Elizabeth and Design Love Fest, I nailed the boutique spots right out the gate!

Bar Stella, 3932 Sunset Blvd

So after my two great purchases it was time to just chill. Ciara had read about Bar Stella and wanted to give it a try. With an entry like this, would you not wanna see inside?

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A fancy margarita and rose’

Inside the tiny bar was so cozy. It was dark, even in the day time, but still inviting. We joked around with the bartender (who later sat by us at dinner at The Black Cat) until some seats outside opened up.

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Inside and outside are so tiny but it makes it that much better-you’re forced to be close to people, which means conversation is bound to get started!

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Too sexy not to get a close-up

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Met a sweet girl named Squirrel out on the porch, look at that smile!

Ciara and I took over a small table outside and quickly made friends. Love that she’s like me and will talk to anyone!  Stacy, a really fun lawyer,  lived around the corner and in conversation about living in big cities she said “oh yea my apartment has a view of the Hollywood sign but it’s still affordable” Since I was leaving the following day and hadn’t seen it, I said “no way! I wanna see!” It was as if we were old girl friends hanging out and before you know it, Ciara and I are on her porch attempting to take artistic photos of the sign and palm trees!

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Pure rosemary joy

After hanging for a bit and planning to make moves to meet with Courtney we headed back.  But, before we did, Stacy asked “do you guys want the smelly tour?” and in unison Ciara said “yas!”  Sure enough there was every herb and awesome smelling plant on the way!

Following Bar Stella and dinner at the Black Cat, Ciara went back to Costa Mesa and Court and I went to Davey Waynes for a dance party. How can I do that all in one day? Lots of practice :)

Hope I didn’t lose you in my blog vacation!
Next up:  Palm Springs

WEAR 16

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From the second I saw this at the Westside Anthropologie store it spoke to me! I love me some one-piece clothes but this was different.  The width of the leg, the open back, a must have! Wore it out for a date night to celebrate the closing of our first home! Felt like a sexy bohemian that ran a dojo in her spare time. ha!

So yes, we closed on a house. A beautiful 3 bedroom 2 bathroom house in Westside Atlanta. Dangerously close to really great shopping and several taco options. We are so pumped! Move in date isn’t until end of September and since our lease ended, we’re floating. Been house-sitting, house-crashing but no couch surfing YET. Our friends have helped us out trememndously. Thanks guys and gals!

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Jumper-Anthropologie, Hat-Stetson, Purse-Madewell, Shoes-Old Navy, Shades-Salt

In the 2 months we’re bouncing around we’re taking trips and making it the most fun possible. We finally pulled the trigger on a big trip we’ve been going back and forth on, GREECE! I turned 30 in March and Dustin turns 30 over Labor Day weekend and with our 1 year anniversary coming up we decided it was a must! We scored big time on plane tickets-2 round trip tickets to Athens, 1 stop in Germany for 1 hour was $1,068.00-a deal we couldn’t miss out on!!!

Speaking of living it up, I’m currently in LA visiting my girl friend Courtney till Monday! Already seen Shaun Ross and Pauly Shore, I’d say it’s off to a Hollywood sight seeing trip so far! Tomorrow we’re hitting up Palm Springs so follow along on Snap or Instagram for all the behind the scenes or come back for a full recap!

Have a good week + weekend, see you on all the other apps!