my summer of puff sleeves is well underway, and my latest dress is by australian brand ginny & jude. i’ve been admiring their dresses from afar for years, so i was very pleasantly surprised when they reached out and asked if i’d be interested in being interviewed for their series, the women project. so if you’re interested in reading a few of my ramblings, definitely head over to check it out, and take a look at some of the other women they’ve featured, who are most certainly more interesting than i am! and don’t forget to take a look at the dresses! this particular style comes in a number of different colors and fabrics including a dreamy velvet number that would be so perfect for special occasions.

wearing:
ginny & jude ‘mood indigo’ puff sleeve dress in sea foam ramie
maryam nassir zadeh sophie mules
clare v. petit alistair in cuoio

hello hello! i shared a photo of this beautiful noemiah dress several weeks ago on instagram, but never got around to writing a proper blog post about it! these days it seems like less and less people are looking at blogs, but i forget that it’s the only space online that i truly own. i really need to get into the habit of sharing things here more often! it’s fun to be able to write more long-form posts, even if not everyone reads them. and i love that i can share several images so you can really get a good look at what i’m wearing.

use code CALIV15 for 15% off your order at noemiah!

so here i am in my noemiah dress! i’ve been a fan of this montreal-based designer for years, and when i told her how much i loved this design, she so very kindly offered to send it to me. and as is often the case, it’s even more beautiful in person! it’s made of this deliciously pillowy double cotton gauze that is both big and floaty, yet still retains a certain amount of structure as you wear it. the perfect dress for spring and especially summer because of the large shape that really allows you to breathe. and my favorite detail, of course, are the embroidered daisies on the bodice.

wearing:
noemiah embroidered daisies dress
maryam nassir zadeh mules
clare v. petit alistair (use this link for $25 off your first order)

i know i don’t always write many posts about my kids, but edie just celebrated her third birthday (how?!), so i decided to partner up with my favorite toy shop, merci milo, to give away a $200 gift card! we’ve been shopping there since shortly after they opened their first los angeles location in highland park, and the kids’ toy collection has never been better! this tiny shop has the best selection of toys, hands down. and not to worry, if you don’t live in the la area, the entire selection is also available online.

we shopped there for edie’s birthday this year, so i thought i’d share some photos of our current three-year-old kid favorites, which mainly revolve around this little ollie ella holdie house and her collection of maileg mice. also photographed in no particular order: holztiger wooden animal toys, melissa and doug take along horse stable set, ollie ella holdie single bed set, living room set, and dining room set, sweetheart doll, ollie ella mini luggy, maileg kitty, maileg little hedgehog with leaf, melissa and doug wooden cutting fruit set, wooden box car set.

click here to enter our $200 merci milo toy shop giveaway!

and if you’ve never been to the shop, a little tour inside!

click here to enter our $200 merci milo toy shop giveaway!

a few weeks ago, i had the pleasure of meeting up with photographer morgan austerweil for a quick photo shoot at the iconic noguchi gardens. i packed up my car and drove through the most beautiful superbloom, watching the painted ladies flutter past the highway, and pulled in to the gardens set right in the middle of a corporate plaza in orange county. the sun was shining bright and the wind was blowing hard. it was a nice little refrain from the usual routine and a fun opportunity to play dress-up in a few different styles from the gravel & gold spring 2019 collection. fun fact: i used to live a couple of blocks from their san francisco brick & mortar shop before they opened their doors. and i remember going back to visit after they opened and purchasing this  tunic dress from possibly their first collection?

but i really can’t take credit for any of this work! morgan took the reigns in planning the entire thing, and i’m just feeling so lucky to have played the tiniest role in bringing this shoot together. for the collection, gravel & gold collaborated with artist claire gallagher on their picnic print, which you really need to see up close to appreciate. it’s just so fun and pretty and unexpected! my favorite piece was definitely that cute little romper. so feast your eyes on some photos and then get ready for a giveaway…

head on over to this post on my instagram feed to enter to win $185 to gravel & gold!

the rancho romper in picnic and the sorrell dress in picnic

the forti dress in sunset

the rancho romper in picnic (my personal favorite!)

the rush jumpsuit in sunset and the forti dress in sunset

the sorrell dress in picnic and tote

as much as my wardrobe has shifted focus toward practical separates, the beginning of spring always gets me really excited for easy dresses. this year in particular, i’ve already collected a wide assortment of dresses just waiting for the warmer weather. lucky for me, a heatwave hit us and it was literally 90 degrees the day i took these pictures! this style of dress is a little bit of a departure from my usual style, yet someone feels so perfectly “me.” when i pulled it on, i almost felt like it had always been in my wardrobe, or at the very least, something that was sorely missing from my wardrobe before i got it! i spend so much time thinking about durability and practicality that sometimes i forget the pure joy of just slipping into a dress and feeling the movement, the texture of the fabric against my skin. and this dress in particular is made from a beautiful deadstock fabric sourced in los angeles, a blend of super soft tencel and organic cotton! designed and sewn in st. louis, supporting ethical work conditions and fare wages. so you have more than one reason to feel good about it. if you haven’t ordered from them before, or if you haven’t taken a look at their latest garments, then go check it out!

use code CALIVINTAGE for 15% off at fauxgerty!

oh, and before i leave, let’s talk about their hats! i had to include a shot of the woven straw hat (also worn here). it’s been my go-to so far this spring, and what i love is that you it comes with a removable and replaceable hat band, or you can wear it without one. i kinda flipped it up at the brim and love that i can basically wear it any time, whether i’m gardening outside or heading to a brunch date.

wearing:
the fiona dress courtesy of fauxgerty
clare v. pot de miel bag (use this link for $25 off your first order)
zouxou eugenia flat in black 
woven straw hat courtesy of fauxgerty

use code CALIVINTAGE to get get 15% off at fauxgerty!

oh hello again. i’m wearing the exact same shirt two days in a row. i have a tendency to latch onto clothes and have favorites that i seem to want to wear for days on end, if i can get away with it! so of course, when the new everlane limited edition denim wide leg crop came in the mail, this top just seemed like the perfect match, so here we are! i took them for a monday run to the grocery store and it felt so good to soak up the sun on my walk after such a gloomy winter (for so-cal, at least)!

so here’s the deal with the jeans: everlane has launched a series of limited edition “denim drops,” to be released throughout the year. edition two is the classic wide leg crop in a 100% cotton premium japanese denim. they’re only making super-limited quantities, and they’re only available to those who sign up for the waitlist. so now is your chance to sign up, because once they’re gone, they’re gone!

having worn these twice already, i can tell you now that they are worth it for the denim alone, even if you find that you need to get an alteration here or there. i ordered my usual size and tossed them in the washer and dryer to get a little bit of shrinkage because i felt they ran slightly large. they’re definitely a style that you can size down in if you prefer something more fitted, but they’re also nice in a slightly more relaxed fit. it definitely just comes down to preference. the rise is high at 11.5″, but not suuper high like some of my 13″ rise jeans. for reference, i’m 5’5″ so they’ll be cropped if you’re about average in height, but looking at them, i think they would be really cute if you let down the hem and wore them with a raw edge if you’re on the taller side or just wanted a bit more length. either way, they’re a really great casual option, especially if you’ve been on the fence about trying higher rise denim, but don’t want to go too extreme.

wearing:
elizabeth suzann linen petra crop
everlane limited edition denim wide leg crop (click the link to sign up for the waitlist)
clare v. petit alistair in cuoio (get $25 off your first order here)
mari giudicelli leblon mules

sign up for the everlane denim drop: edition two, the denim wide leg crop!

and just like that, it’s spring! so i’m shedding my layers and prancing about in this skin that hasn’t seen the sun in months. it feels good. i’ve been tending to my garden, which is something that my mom always did when i was a kid growing up, but nothing i’ve ever tried on my own. mainly because i’ve never had a yard! but we’ve been living in our house for almost four years now, and between moving-in, having another kid, massive renovations… i hadn’t gotten to that big patch of dirt until now. so perhaps it’s fitting that the first springy look i’m sharing this year has a bit of a utilitarian vibe. the straw hat for sun protection, a fanny pack for easy access. but fashion, so you know, a crop top and a high rise skirt with these mules that i think i’ve pulled out of my closet for the third year in a row?

and this is a pretty solid example of how i’ve been dressing most days lately. easy separates, so that i can swap out whatever bottoms i’m wearing with an old pair of levis so i can head out to take care of my baby plants. but also some really cool brands that are worth sharing. if you follow my blog, then you probably already know about elizabeth suzann, they have a pretty solid reputation for their approach towards garments, from their design to their made-to-order production in their nashville studio. this simple linen tank top is something that i wear year-round as a base layer in the cooler months beneath wool sweaters, or on it’s own when the weather is pleasant. this straw hat was created by my friends at fauxgerty, a st.louis-based brand dedicated to sustainability and the environment. i’ve been working with them on an ongoing bases and will be sharing some new designs very soon!

but one brand that you may not have heard of is label by three. though their selection is small, this arizona-based brand caught my eye with their beautiful product photography featuring a variety of models, so you can really get an idea of both their design philosophy and commitment to creating clothing for all sizes and all people. not only that, but as a mexican woman myself, it’s also incredibly inspiring and uplifting to see a fashion business run by women of color, dedicated to sustainability and versatility. this skirt and everything in their current collection is on sale to make way for new stock, so if you were on the fence, now is the time to snag something!

wearing:
fauxgerty woven straw hat
elizabeth suzann petra crop
label by three vela skirt in black
vintage leather fanny pack
maryam nassir zadeh mules

back to the blog after a lot of time off, and i’m so excited to be announcing my latest giveaway with rachael harrah! she designs the dreamiest linen garments, sewn right in los angeles, and her latest launch is this fun pair of overalls! i love the way she styled them with a chambray blouse so much, that i did the exact same thing for my own shoot. what i love about garment like these is that they really are all-season. the weather is still a little chilly most days, so i’ve been pairing them with my trusty babaa cardigans to keep warm. and of course, these will be awesome worn simply over a t-shirt with a pair of sandals when the weather heats up!

to enter to win $250 to rachael harrah, simply visit this post on my instagram and follow the directions to enter!