Burgundy Floral Dress

This past week has been so busy!  As a working mom it's sometimes hard to balance kids, homework, sports activities, the holidays, Christmas shopping, wrapping gifts, and the demands of work!  Lately I have been working 12 hour + days to meet deadlines and I really feel like it's starting to take a toll on me.  I need to find a balance...some time to focus on my health and working out, some time to take care of me by getting my nails done and a pedicure, finding time to finish that book I started on a plane trip home from a business trip several weeks ago, time to catch up on Instagram, time to spend on me.  Do you all have the same challenges?

Details:
ASTR the Label Wine Multi Dress - available in solid wine color and olive brown here
Burgundy Pumps (old) - other options here, here, and here
Mauve sunglasses (old) - similar here, here, and here
Whiskey brown saddle bag by Sole Society - similar here, here, and here
Photography: Rachel Radcliffe Photography

Sometimes the best thing to do is just disconnect and focus on your self.  Here are some tips I use to help me feel a little peace and solitude when my life starts to feel a little chaotic and out of control:

1. Take a relaxing bubble bath

2. Go to the spa a get a massage or facial

3.  Get a mani/pedi and say yes to the glass of champagne when they offer - why not?

4.  Grab that book you've been reading and bring it to your local coffee shop - you won't be disturbed by the distractions at home!

5. Go enjoy an ice cream cone with your favorite flavor

6.  Take a drive to the beach, mountains, go get lost somewhere - bring your camera and a picnic for one!

7.  Go have lunch or grab cocktails with your best girlfriend!

8. Sleep in!  You can stay in your jammies all day if you want!

9.  Watch a chick flick or comedy on Netflix

10.  Go to the gym and get a good work out in 

Do you feel like every once in a while you get stuck in a grind and can't seem to break the vicious cycle?  For most people, the solution is to just make a conscious effort to remember to do something special for yourself at least once a day.  These can be little things, like blocking your calendar at work to go get a pedi at lunch time or taking the dog for a walk to get in some exercise...Just like you have a work schedule or kids sports practice and game schedule...what is on your schedule this week?  Pencil yourself in on your calendar like you do for others and you will begin focusing on yourself!  At a minimum, you will feel good about yourself and taking time for you will definitely improve your energy level and mood!  

So let's talk about this dress...you know retail therapy is another great mood booster!  First of all, I love burgundy!  It'a always been a favorite color of mine to wear!  The floral pattern is so pretty but it also comes in solid colors including olive brown and wine.   It's made from an airy and flowy georgette material.  There is a back button key hole closure with a mock neckline.  The sleeves are long and with pretty button cuff details at the bottom.  I originally ordered this dress in a size medium and needed to size up to a large.  I normally wear a size 6-8 but I would highly suggest sizing up one size to ensure you have the perfect fit!  

I got these strappy burgundy heels several years ago and recently came across them when I cleaned out and purged my closet.  I brought along my go to saddle bag that literally wear every day!  I  decided to take a break from work and drove to my favorite ice cream parlor to same the holiday peppermint flavor!  Needless to say it was well worth the break and the outside landscape was a much better view than my laptop for a while!!       

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Happy Holidays, 

xoxoxo,

Hayley

Related Posts

Valentines Day Favorites

"I So Heart You" Valentine Card by the talented Sandy M of Ooh La Frou Frou

Valentines Day is just a few weeks away and I am already dreaming of pink champagne, chocolates, and romance!  I recently created a new Pinterest board to get some Valentine's Day romantic inspiration!  You can check it out here!  I've also rounded up some of my favorite Valentines Day inspired looks and gifts whether you're planning a fancy dinner date in the city or a romantic casual evening at home watching Netflix...I've got you covered!  Guys...pay attention...I've included some great gift ideas as well!  

With Love,
💗💖💝💘

Hayley

This coral pink flowy maxi dress is simply stunning
Every valentine gal needs a sweet scented perfume like this one!
I love anything with bows such as these cute pajamas and this classy red ruffle dress
Scallops are a cute and romantic detail like this blush top here or this lace ruffle neck top here
Get your glow on with this Too Faced Bronzer and this chocolate bons bons eye shadow pallete
Everyone needs a cute pair of red sunnies to go with their valentines outfit
Looking for the perfect bag? I love this mini-love cross body one here
These heart adorned sneakers are sure to make a statement for your casual date out!
Here are a few of my other favorite dress options here, here, and here!

Shop the rest of my Valentines Selections below!

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Favorite Fall Dresses

Fall is my favorite time of year! I love the bright warm colors of the changing leaves, the smell of fresh apple pie in the oven, and the cool crisp air which calls for cozy sweaters and blanket scarfs!  If you have been following my blog for a while then you know that I am a dress lover!  In the fall, I love to shop for dresses!  I usually will wear them with tights and a cardigan or wool coat for extra layers!

I've gathered up some of my favorite finds on fall dresses below!  Now I just need to decide which ones will move from my shopping cart to my closet!

I hope you all are having a wonderful week so far!

Happy Shopping!

Hayley 

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High Low Sleeveless Dress

I love versatility in my wardrobe!  This pink medallion printed sleeveless dress (similar option in blue found here) from H&M is a great way to show how you can take a summer look and transition it to fall very easily.  Once you open your mind to doing this, the wardrobe possibilities will be endless!  I suggest you look at all your spring and summer dresses and reevaluate their potential to wear again when the weather cools down.  A few simple tips will help you with this process.  

  

1.     Start with the dress…solid colors or simple basic patterns that don’t scream spring or summer will work best. For example, pineapples and flamingos may not be the best choice for this project.  This H&M dress (similar in blue here) is a color that can be used all year round.  The medallion grey pattern is simple and neutral which makes this dress a great choice as a transition piece.   Here are a few other similar options you can consider here, here, and here.  

2. Shoes...sandals, flip flops, espadrilles, and open toe heels are the perfect shoe to accessorize this dress in the spring or summer.  However, when the weather gets cooler you will need something warmer to keep your tootsies toasty.  Boots, oxfords, flats, and booties are my favorite shoes for fall and they can be worn with your spring or summer dresses!  In fact, I believe shoes are the most important element to create fabulous fall looks with your spring and summer pieces.  I'm wearing these booties which I picked up last year but here are a few of my current favorites here, here, and here.    

3.  Layers...It doesn't matter if your dress is sleeveless or strapless...the fact of the matter is that you can continue to wear it in autumn and winter as long as you add warm layers.  My favorite cool weather layers are cardigans, trench coats, moto jackets, and denim.  Here are a few closet staples that work perfectly well for layering in cooler weather here, here, and here.   

4.  Tights...although I am not wearing any in this post, tights are essential in making any spring or summer dress transitional for cooler weather.  They keep your legs warm and they comes in a variety of fun colors and textures that are sure to punch up any outfit!   Here are my favorite picks here, here, and here!

So remember, before you start to pack away all your summer dresses, take into consideration whether you can use them to create fun fall outfits.  With the right layers and accessories, you will be amazed at how much wear you can get out of the summer dress you were considering for fall and winter hibernation!

Happy Closet Organizing!

xoxoxo,

Hayley

Red Floral Dress

We had some glimpses of warm spring weather over the last week here in the San Francisco Bay Area and I love any opportunity I can get to throw on a dress and go bare legs!  This red floral fit and flare dress by Calvin Klein fit the bill perfectly for our day out visiting the Cantor Arts Center at Stanford University.  

Museum History:

The Cantor Arts Center's diverse collections span continents, cultures, and 5,000 years of art history and include one of the largest presentations of Rodin bronzes outside Paris.  It first opened its doors to the public in 1894 and was known as the "Leland Stanford Junior Museum".  Privately founded by the Stanford family, the museum exhibited a general collection of art from around the globe.  By the turn of the century, it was the largest privately-owned museum in the world.  The building itself is an architectural tour de force with a rich history of growth, success, and devastating setbacks caused by the catastrophic San Francisco earthquakes of 1906 and 1989.  The earthquakes caused irreparable damage to many of the art collections and the museum was badly damaged in both events causing it to periodically close down to the public.

Today, the museum is thriving, reconstructed, and revitalized thanks to art enthusiasts in the surrounding community, volunteers, and the dedication of Stanford University faculty and staff.  In 1999, it reopened as the Iris & B. Gerald Cantor Center for Visual Arts.  If you’re planning a visit to the San Francisco Bay Area and enjoy visual art, I would highly suggest adding this to your list of things to do.  The admission is free and the art collections are magnificent.

As you may know, I am a big fan of Calvin Klein dresses.  I recently wore a few other CK dresses in these posts here, here, and here.   I picked out this dress back in November and thought it would be perfect for the holidays.  I love the fit and flare sleeveless style which is extremely versatile for all seasons.  The trick is to add layers in the winter, such as tights and a trench coat.  In the warmer months of spring you can wear it alone with a cute pair of sandals or heels like I did for this particular warm day.  I kept my accessories to a minimum bringing along my black leather Kate Spade handbag  found here and wearing my favorite black bow heels. I have my eyes on a few other Calvin Klein dresses for spring.  I currently have these ones in my shopping cart here, here, and here.

I hope you all enjoyed the President’s Day holiday and were able to get out and do something interesting or fun!  There are so many places to visit in our local area so I am trying to make it a point to get out with the family and explore as much as possible!

Xoxoxo,

Hayley    

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