Must Have: Wide Brimmed Hats

Wide Brimmed Hat Love 

Besides my ever-growing & unhealthy obsession with stripes and plaid (I think I need therapy), I have been called by a higher power to find the perfect wide brimmed hat.  Dramatic.  Yes, indeed.  But, I have been looking for that perfect hat to add to my collection (I have a lot of hats).  Hats are an essential accessory to any outfit in my opinion.  In fact, I feel naked when I am not wearing one!  I love them so!  It takes a certain quiet bravery to rock a damn good hat, ya know what I mean?  I totally made that up, but I love a girl in a hat.  Sigh.  I also have an image of the perfect wide brimmed hat that I am seeking in my head: felt or wool, maybe a little worn & roughed up from years of use, a thin leather band wrapped sweetly around the magical hat, a deep chestnut or dusty gray hue and a nice wide brim.  End of story.  I have yet to come across it on my thrift store jaunts and may have to pay a little more for one somewhere else-eek.  My obsession with the wider brimmed hats is obvious if you follow me on Pinterest.  Ridiculous and out of hand I tell you.  The hats & the stylish ladies donning perfectly wide brims above are my current favorites.  That blue one is dreamy!  So, is a wide brimmed hat a must?  Duh, of course!  I'd love to know how you would style yours?!!

xo, B   

Tomboy, Polka-Dots & Stripes

TPS: Layers 

I am endlessly inspired by all of the super cozy autumn/winter tomboy layers I am seeing everywhere!  Keeping it fresh, strong, classic and cool while adding just the right amount of wooly coats, chunky socks, leather boots, thick scarves and piled on cardigans.  I dig this ladies slouchy beanie, which dresses down her chic camel coat and slick boots.

I am liking my polka-dots wickedly girly lately, with sweet feminine details like the lace collar and fuzzy cashmere above.  Pair it with a motorcycle style boot and a felt hat and you are golden. 

Finally, the striped bow tie is the perfect mixture of two of my fav style elements, combining tomboy prep with those luscious pops of stripes, to make your collared button-ups dazzle on those dreary days.  This outfit is making me excited for those foggy and chilly days ahead!  Our firewood is drying out & will be ready for a sparkling fire any day now-eeeeep!  

Model/Real Life: Autumn Overalls

Model/Real Life: Overalls 

Welcome November!

A dress?  Overalls?  It's both!  And it's so 90s cool that I was taken back to my junior high days just like that.  I found this great little dress at the Goodwill in Oxnard a while back and was instantly drawn to the autumn color pallet and funky tribal-like design.  Then I saw that it was a dress that looked like overalls and had buttons down the side-totally whimsical details that I adore!  Sold.  Oh, and breastfeeding friendly to boot!  

So the Hub, Mister Boy and I made our way up to Ojai one sunny & super warm Sunday to hit up their beautiful Farmer's Market.  I threw on my overall dress, since it's such an easy piece to just throw on (those 90s pieces were oh so breezy weren't they?!!) and paired it with my newly thrifted leather lace-up boots (another 90s gem from Nine West-holla!).  The boots added the perfect Fall detail while I kept pretty cool in the easy, breezy dress.  The overall outfit ended up looking like a bohemian-90s-grunge-My So Called Life dream.  Amazing!  

Our day was great too, with yummy butternut squash bought to make soup and a baby who cooled off in a water fountain.  Maverick loves the water and was so brave, just sitting right in the middle of the fountain and trying to climb atop of it!  He was quite the little entertainer.  I am so thankful for lovely Fall days spent outside under the warm sunshine.

This That These: Sweater Round-Up

Sweater Love 

I have been dreaming about these lovely sweaters for a while now, even though the weather here in Southern California is confused.  It's Autumn, by the way!  Just making sure you know that, So. Cal.  It's sunny, bright and warm here still-which I love and appreciate.  However, I wouldn't mind a stormy cool day here and there.  I enjoy layering up & became quite the master at it when I lived in San Francisco, so I would relish in a chance to put those spiffy skills to use.  

These sweaters are the perfect Fall companion, right as rain (see what I did there) paired with skinny jeans and ankle boots for our version of Fall in Ventura.  No need for scarves or beanies.  Just an easy light sweater to throw on once the temps dip a bit.  I am particularly smitten with that vintage pink polka-dotted one!  Time to choose a cozy sweater or two to enjoy the Fall season in! 

♥

Check my Pinterest for more stylish sweaters! 

This That These: Shades of Mustard

This That These: Mustard (click here for all the details)

Getting happy for Fall with shades of mustard yellow, sweet hearts and cozy striped sweaters for baby and me!  Let's take a moment to drool over those skinny baby jeans-like seriously, how cute are they!?!  

♥

Tomboy, Polka-Dots & Stripes!

TPS #2 (click here for item details)

Tomboy---I really dig preppy styles that are a bit messed up looking.  And, those socks with those loafers are where it's at.

Polka-Dots----a simple, work-horse cardigan gets a little whimsy when you add polka-dots.  I have a vintage Gap dotted cardigan that I wear with everything!

Stripes----basic flats in classic navy and white stripes are perfection with jeans and tees.

xo, Happy Monday! 

This That These...and Baby too!

This That These...for baby too! (click here for outfit details)

Spicing things up for Fall and including Mister Boy on my This That These post today!  

That beautiful chunky cardigan is a dream piece for sure because I could never afford it!  Don't you just want to wrap yourself up in it and snuggle with a cup of cocoa in your hand?  I sure do!  I will be on the look out for a similar cardigan while shopping at the thrift stores.  I am a little in love with wine colored denim right now and I almost bought a pair that I spied at the thrift shop, but they looked way too small and I can't kid myself anymore into thinking I can fit into a size 3.  That lovely pair of Minnetonka El Paso moccasins are very close to being mine (they are affordable and last forever) and I want to buy Maverick a similar pair for when he starts walking (aren't the mini versions so cute!).  Baby and children's moccasins are probably my favorite thing to drool over...Mav would have like 20 pairs if I didn't control myself!

The itty bitty striped sweater and polka-dot leggings are from this wonderful Etsy shop called Fable, where everything is handmade and so stylish!  I love me some polka-dots, especially on a baby and even baby boys can rock them!  

What Fall staples are you excited about, for you and/or baby?  

Tomboy, Polka-Dots & Stripes #1

Getting back into blogging has been so much fun!  I have been working on what sort of things I really enjoy writing about and what features I want to make a regular thing around here.  I am slowly getting my groove!  I think that my posts on Motherhood, Model/Real Life and Mister Boy updates will all be regular features.  As well as my weekly roundup on Friday's, I will also have my "This That These" post and my newest feature, TPS (Tomboy, Polka-dots & Stripes).

This feature combines two of my favorite style elements, showcasing my newfound love for classic, chic and comfortable fashion.  It also includes my love for women who have the confidence to wear menswear or masculine-inspired women's-wear: adventurous & cool tomboys!  I think this fun feature represents my aesthetic very well!  Of course, I will always add a little whimsy!  Enjoy!

TPS #1 

1. Grandpa gingham never looked so cool rolled at the ankles & in such pretty colors!  The cut-off tee is the perfect everyday, "I don't care" tomboy element.

2. Cashmere sweater in two-tone stripes-perfect fall colors and for layering.

3. Polka-Dot lace up flats can be worn seamlessly with boyfriend jeans & leggings (does anyone know the source for these?)  

Which one is your favorite?

A Few Things...

A Few Fall Things (click here for item details)

Just a few lovely things to make you cozy...

xo, Benicia 

Model/Real Life: Ikat

Model/Real Life: Ikat 

A friend of mine told me that Ikat means "to bind" in Malay.  I think this meaning is beautiful and I smile to myself whenever I see the Ikat pattern.

I found this amazing Ikat printed skirt at one of the downtown thrift shops and was instantly taken with the colors.  I love the combination of the warm mustard and the deep plum.  Perfect colors for Fall.  This skirt has amazing texture and I was delighted to discover pockets once I got it home!  I wore the heck out of it this summer, pairing it with woven sandals.  Today I decided to test it out with my new favorite pair of boots.  Ikat is a pretty bold print and a little goes a long way, so I downplayed my outfit with a basic tee and minimal accessories.  I also included a very special model in this one! 

After looking at these, I realized that this skirt might look even better hemmed a bit...what do you guys think?  Oh, and please forgive some of the awkward poses and such, my husband thought it was funny to crack me up while snapping photos!  

What do you think of the guest model? 

The Details:

Vintage Skirt-thrifted

Boots-thrifted ($5!!)

Grey tee-thrifted

Woven Hat-belonged to Toby's Papa

Handmade Cigar Necklace-made with love by Faith 

Covetable Things 03: Chunky Blues

This That These 2 (click here for item details)



It rained on and off all day yesterday-eeeeep!  Felt like September ushered in a little fall preview for us.  All I wanted to do was drink hot tea, cozy up on the couch in my chunky cardigan and watch a  John Hughes film.  You too!?  What a coincidence!  I can never decide which season I love most-summer or fall?  But, luckily I live by the ocean so it never really goes to the extreme either way and I can enjoy pretty mild weather all year long.  This makes dressing pretty easy.  Although I do crave the desert heat of where I grew up sometimes as well as crisper air in autumn.

So, my go-to styling for fall while living by the beach looks like the above.  No heavy wool coats, mittens or fuzzy scarves.  More like a chic Kurt Cobain, a la that rad checkered cardigan from Topshop!  Simple, no fuss tomboy inspired styling-that's me.  And, in a color palette that's a bit more subdued for me; less brights, more royal blues, charcoal, midnight, mustard yellow, rusty reds & oranges and creams.  

Cozy and comfy.  A good pair of broken in boyfriend cuffed jeans, fun socks to wear with a sturdy pair of boots, a soft vintage tee and a whimsical canvas tote bag are my favs.  This outfit is perfect for a weekend spent walking the dog, making soup and snuggling with the ones you love as the days get shorter and a bit chillier.  

What are your favorite fall go-to items?  Are you missing summer already?  The spirit of summer will always be missed, as the moon turns a somber bluish and the warm sun dips quickly behind green hills.  

Model/Real Life: Seeing Dots

Model/Real Life: Dots 

I absolutely adore polka dots!  I mean, like totally am in love with them.  I would wear them from head to toe if I could-who am I kidding, I probably will!  Polka dots simply make me smile.  They have the ability to make an everyday outfit fun and in turn, can be clean and chic in subtle doses.  

I found this simple vintage tank top at the thrift shop for $2 the other day and squealed silently in delight when I spied the little polka dots on it.  These dots remind me of Wonder Bread, since they are yellow, red and blue.  This top is comfy and easy to throw on, which is a priority for this mom.  I like how it adds a little color and jazz to basic jeans, which I wore because we were running around doing errands & eating Indian burritos (epic!)  And it would look cute with a denim button up layered over it or with boyfriend jeans like how the pretty lady above rocked her dots.  Had to include Mister Boy because he made me look ten times cuter!  

The Details:

Vintage 80s Top-thrifted

Jeans-thrifted skinnies

Vintage woven sandals-thrifted

Vintage wool hat-passed down from my Nana 

Gold "Love" necklace-handmade by Faith

Backpack-Baggu

Baby-made by me!

City Essentials

I am spending the rest of this week getting ready for our trip to to San Francisco and packing is on the top of the list.  The City is known for its foggy, overcast and chilly days when summer comes around. That usually means you gotta wear layers, especially if you intend on moving from one neighborhood to the next-it may be bundle up weather by the beach but warmer once your feet hit the Mission neighborhood pavement.

We are staying with friends who have a house in what locals call the Sunset district.  It's usually always overcast out there, but we plan to make our way downtown, to the Castro and Mission Districts and beyond.  So, I always bring pieces of clothing that can be mixed and matched-one layer at a time!  And I will be packing as light as possible since I have to make more room for baby gear.  I will be bringing classic basics in easy fabrics with an emphasis on comfort (for all that city walking) and a hint of summer style.  Anyone else heading off to the city?  Here are the essentials for your luggage bag!

      City Essentials 
             click above to see where to buy these goodies


Must bring... 

     A hat, a basic sweater t-shirt for comfort, a pair of t-strap espadrilles in honor of summer, but a bit more coverage than sandals, a spunky flowy top, a pair of bright sneakers so everyone can see you when you cross those busy streets, a coral hued cardigan for layering, a pair of trusty sunnies, a canvas backpack that doubles as a diaper bay & is perfect for lugging around while walking all day, a light army jacket, a worn in pair of jeans and a classic striped stretchy skirt.  

The Little Shop that Could

Many of you may not know this, but I once co-owned a small vintage shop called Love Fox Vintage.  I ran it with my fashion sister from another mother, Faith.  We did everything ourselves, from making all of the displays (all recycled, of course) to shopping and helping our beloved customers.  It was the hardest thing I have ever done aside from being a mama.  There were many aspects of the shop that I loved.  I loved buying vintage to fill our racks, creating fun displays and dressing up our windows, and meeting sweet ladies who appreciated our little shop.  There were also things that I don't miss so much.  Business owning is extremely stressful and fickle.  And there is a lot of downtime, which can be difficult to deal with.  Also, you really put yourself out there when you own a business, so when people are negative about the space you have created it hurts to the core.  And I may be too sensitive to handle the criticism and financial vulnerability of shop owning.

Some days I really miss it though.  What I miss most is being creative and surrounded my fashion loving people on a daily basis.  And I really think Faith and I created a beautiful space that took you away to another place when you walked through the doors.  We really learned a lot from this experience and it opened both of us up in ways we never knew.  I am very grateful to have been a part of this dream & if I ever shop own again, I have a great resource of hands-on knowledge and lessons learned to look back on as a guide.

Faith is hoping to start the Fox up again online very soon, so keep an eye out for that!  Visit her at her blog, Tod Vixen!  She has the best tomboy style around!
Here's a peek into my old life as a shop owner.

A Love Fox Spring photo shoot

A window peek at the original shop in Ventura (this shop was barely 300 square feet, which was actually pretty perfect)

The deer sweater was a favorite Love Fox item of mine!

Whoa! Watch out, foxy ladies over here! 

That's Miss Faith in one of my fav photos of her!

I am hoping to find more photos of the actual shop for you guys (since I am obsessed with house, studio and creative space tours), but I think a lot of them were on my old Macbook (sad face) or on our flickr.  I must investigate!  

The Ultimate

For me, the ultimate go-to piece this summer has been a sleeveless denim button up.  I am actually pretty obsessed with denim looks right now.  Denim is so easy to wear & can be easily altered from preppy fun to worn in cool.  I am currently loving my denim with a little 90s messiness  or 70s bohemian flare.  Denim button ups or men's collared shirts are perfect for layering, look so cute tied up front with a maxi skirt and double as a cover-up at the beach.  Here are some of my fav looks from around the web...

Look 1/2/3/4

Here's my ultimate summer go-to outfit.  I have been wearing some variation of this all summer long!  It's just so easy, comfortable and chic.  Cheers to summer! 

The Ultimate Summer Essentials 

What I'm Dreaming Of...Apricot & Butter

Summer Outfit #4

Summer is slowly winding down and before we know it, fall will be here.  Gotta enjoy the the slower pace and simplicity that summer brings before it slips through my fingers!  Here is my dream summer outfit for the week...something I'd wear while spending a day in sunny LA, browsing at the Melrose Trading Post and eating cupcakes.

These embroidered Mexican style dresses are a breeze to throw on and looks chic when belted.  I love the classic accessories this girl is rockin', like the large mens watch and leather cross-body bag.  Here is my version in my favorite summer hue-apricot! 

Vagabond sandals

Ray Ban Clubmaster sunnies

Nixon watch

Topshop skinny belt

I'm Dreaming Of... A Deserted Beach (Summer Outfit #3)

This is my favorite summer dreaming outfit so far.  I love the simplicity, easiness and the desert inspired colors of this photo.  It's what you wear to the beach on one of those foggy, cool early mornings.  Bring along a warm wool blanket and a thermos of hot coffee and listen to the waves.  That's all.  And that's perfect.  

I rarely wear white, even though I appreciate the cleanness and freshness of it.  So, I'd wear a chambray sleeveless blouse instead or roll the sleeves up on the men's collared chambray top I have in my closet.  And a large blanket scarf does double duty as a cover up for chilly shoulders and as a beach blanket.  This image is from Kinfolk, found via my Pinterest.  And, it is an outfit that can be worn after the beach at an intimate dinner gathering-easy to lounge and relax in.  Here's my take on this lovely tomboy style...

What I'm Dreaming Of...Perfect Summer Hat

So that I can do this:

Had a couple of super sunny, bright and warm beach days this week.  They were perfect!  Being out at the beach for a couple of hours made me realize how inadequate my hat-wear was (also made me realize that the Hub and I need to invest in beach chairs, umbrella and a cooler-stat!).  So, I am on the hunt for a nice big floppy sun hat...or a cute straw trilby or boater style hat.  Hitting up the thrift shops first, but here are some pretty hats that I am keeping in mind as I look.  More dreamy beach days to come!

All hats via my Pinterest-go check it out!

What I'm Dreaming Of...My Summer Outfit

Images found in my Pinterest

Summer is all about easy-easy days lounging on the cool grass, easy treats like ice cream and easy dressing.  Easy is especially good when you are a mom.  Lately, I have been a much simpler dresser-opting for comfy tees and flowing maxi skirts.  When the weather is warm and sunny, I like to get outside as soon as I can.  That's where a simple, comfy and cute go-to outfit comes in handy!  And, I found my dream summer outfit: a pair of high-waisted shorts, a cropped tee, boater hat, cut-out style oxfords and a classic leather satchel.  This outfit works for warmer days by the ocean and as something I can really live in while walking with my little guy everyday.  Here is my version of this super versatile summer look!

  

I opted for a floral pair of high-waisted shorts, freeing my inner 90's girl, but I would also rock a simple linen or cotton pair in that amazing rust color!  A striped, cropped tee would also work well with these shorts for some cooky pattern play.  I also choose a felt boater hat, since it's still pretty cool by the ocean during summer so I can get away with it.  But, a cute straw-like one would work great for warmer weather.  I love the idea of a pair of leather oxfords with cooling cutouts for summer & a classic leather satchel like the Madewell one above is all you need on your sunny adventures. ♥