The {Holiday} Weekend

"These fallen heros represent the character of a nation who has a long history of patriotism and honor - and a nation who has fought many battles to keep our country free from threats of terror."

There are no words to express my gratitude to those individuals who have given their life in order to protect me and my family.

Thank you.

With Memorial Day weekend arriving, the summer sales have also kicked off.  It is crazy the number of deals there are out there and so I pulled together some of my favorites below to help you update your summer wardrobe while enjoying the long holiday weekend.

ASOS - 20% off everything with code WEBEGRILLIN (through May 26)

Maison Du Soir - 20% with code MEMORIAL20 (through May 26)

Emily Rosendahl Leather Goods - 20% off all bags and clutches with code MAY14 (through May 26)
DVF - 30% off all sale items with code SUMMER30 (through May 26)

Blue Eyed Girl - additional 40% off all sale items with code MDAY (through May 26)
Gap - 40% off regular price styles with code EVENT (through May 26)

Nordstrom - Women and Children's Half Year Sale (through June 1)

Les Nouvelles - 20% off site wide with code STRIPES20 (through May 26)

Little Skye Kids - 30% off your purchase and free shipping with code SAVEBIG (through May 26)
Joe's Jeans - 30% off site wide (certain exclusions) with code HONOR (through May 26)

Tea Collection - Memorial Day Sale (through May 26)
Loeffler Randall - 30% off site wide (through May 26)

Joie - additional 20% off sale with code MBW20 (through May 26)

Neiman Marcus - Up to 40% off the latest styles in Contemporary.CUSP (through May 26)

Intermix - additional 40% off sale items (through May 28)

Happy Shopping Weekend.

Emerson Fry Activewear Collection

Here is the thing.

I live in activewear.

Whether I am really going to work out or I am pretending like I am going to work out, I throw on activewear every morning.  

As much as I would love to look put together and refreshed at 7am as I leave to take the kids to school, I just enjoy sleep way too much and prefer to throw on activewear pieces and sunglasses, looking somewhat presentable without having to do much.

And perhaps it is a mental game but I believe I am 99% more likely to workout if the clothes are already on me over having to change.

Being that these clothes get more use than anything else in my closet, I am always on the look out for new activewear lines.  Yes I love my Lululemon but I just can't be one of those people who is in head to toe Lulu every single day.  I just can't.  Variety is a necessity in my life.

One of my favorite lines, Emerson Fry, just launched a simple set of activewear and I am extremely intrigued.  Offering four pieces (the element crew, yoga capris, the racerback tank, and the surf short), it is a simple introduction to the activewear space, providing a relief from the norm.  I definitely feel these pieces need to be given a chance and I am excited to see if they expand the collection over time.  For now, I like what I am seeing.

 

The Design Process with Maison Du Soir

Have you ever been just a tad bit curious about a Designer's design process?

I have.

When I worked at Nordstrom way back when, I developed a true appreciation for how certain designers made their clothes and the amount of time it takes to go from the design stage to holding an actual item but I have never really understood exactly what happened.

It has always been something I have admired and wanted to know more about.

Last week I sat down with Courtney Kates the designer behind Maison Du Soir,  a sleepwear line that I adore and have featured previously here on the blog, to chat about her design process.  She patiently walked me through each step, from start to finish.  It was incredibly fascinating.  I had to share because I think we sometimes forget how hard designers work to create pieces that we love.  Here is a little walk through the Maison Du Soir process...

Picking out the fabric and colors for a collection

What originally caught my eye when I first saw Maison Du Soir were the colors used and the beautiful silk selected.  Courtney does an incredible job of bringing beautiful color combinations together.  Can you imagine how fun it is to select from so many options?!

Here is a look at the color combinations and silk selected for the Fall 2014 collection.

Creating the drawings

After the colors and fabrics have been selected, it is time to start designing.  Courtney will begin by drawing it out, assigning colors and creating different styles.  Then she will move to having tech sketches created, which will pull together the line as a whole and allow her to make sure that all the pieces work together.  These tech sketches will provide not only the design but specific instructions for the bindings and hems.

Patterns and Salesmen Samples

Once the tech sketches are confirmed, it is time to move to paper pattern making and the creation of a Salesmen sample.  The Salesmen sample is the sample that will be brought to accounts to showcase the collection prior to production.  Below is a Salesmen sample from a new piece launching this Fall.

Grading

Once the paper pattern has been confirmed, it is time to make different sizes.  The pattern is digitized and then graded to get the cuts needed for each size.  As you move up in each size, the pattern becomes a certain percentage larger.

Calculating your fabric

Ever wonder how a designer knows how much fabric they are going to need?  Once the patterns are created for each size, a marker is created on fabric paper based on how many of each size Courtney would like and printed for the cutter. Below is a small scale example.

Time to cut!

Both the marker and rolls of fabric are taken to the Cutter and the cutting begins! 

The Sewing

Once all the fabric is cut (can you imagine the number of pieces of fabric you are now responsible for?!) it is off to the Sewer.  When arriving at the Sewer, Courtney must ensure she has EVERYTHING.  The fabric, the elastic, the buttons, the labels, the hang tags.  EVERYTHING.  Once the Sewer has everything, the final products are created.

The Advertising

On top of having the pieces created, Courtney works on putting together a media kit to accompany the Salesmen samples to be delivered to different accounts and publications.  This kit will include the photo shoot and a line sheet, showing each item available in the collection, along with the fabric options.

The End

At the end, a beautiful collection is created and as a designer, Courtney hopes everyone loves it as much as she does.

And I do.

  

Then she starts all over for the next season.

Sitting with Courtney and talking through this entire process, you can feel the passion she has towards her design and it makes me love Maison Du Soir that much more.  I also have a new found respect for all the time, work and love that is poured into creating just one collection.  And she creates a couple collections a year!  It is amazing. 

Makes you think a little more about the clothes you own and how much was put into creating that one piece doesn't it?

Thank you Courtney for sharing your process.  You're the best!

I can't wait to see the final Fall 2014 collection!

If you would like to preview the entire Maison Du Soir line, click here.

You really should.  It is gorgeous.

Kicking Off Sumer

Memorial Day is right around the corner and I cannot help but get excited for the kick off to summer and of course, summer pieces.

The Ryan Tank

WAY BACK in September (feels like FOREVER ago right?) I mentioned how much I love my Everlane tees.  And then I ordered more.  And then more.  And then I became an Everlane tee snob and refuse to wear anything else.  They are hands down, my favorite tees.

Then the weather became increasingly warmer (if that is even possible, I mean, it has been summer since last Fall here) and I figured it was about time I tried out one of the Everlane tanks.  If I loved the tees so much, the tanks can't be half bad right?  I placed an order for the Ryan tank and there it was again.  Another favorite.

With a loose fit and extremely soft feel, the Ryan tank is the perfect summer essential.  When I say essential, I mean that I probably wear mine way too much and people would like to see me in something different.  I have thrown them over a bathing suit for the beach, paired with a skirt for dinner and with cut offs for a baseball game.  They come in my uniform of colors (white, black, heather grey, navy and charcoal), making them a seamless addition to my wardrobe.  

I could go on and on about these tanks but then it would just start to sound obnoxious so I will stop.  I will simply close with, if you have thought about ordering from Everlane, the Ryan tank is the perfect way to be introduced to their pieces.  You won't be disappointed (and perhaps you should throw in a white v-neck too...just my suggestion).  You can shop the entire Everlane collection here.

The ODells Collection

There is a new collection around town and I am falling quickly for it.

The ODells Collection.

A line created by husband and wife duo Lauren and Jason O'Dell, they launched their first collection this Spring 2014 and it is picking up steam fast.

Offering flowing silhouettes along structured pieces, the line is designed for the woman who wants to be chic but doesn't look like she spent two hours trying to achieve it.

This line was made for me.

Okay, so maybe it wasn't but it is me through and through!

I was first introduced to the line at the Blue Eyed Girl in San Juan Capistrano and had an incredibly hard time deciding on which pieces to take home.  I settled on this racerback dress and it is a current closet favorite.

I can't image a more perfect dress for Spring and Summer.

After loving all the pieces in the store, I made a visit to their site to preview the rest of the collection and that was probably a mistake because now a number of the dresses are on my wish list.

Here is a look at some of my favorites.

I would pick them all up if I could.

You can view the entire collection here and shop the collection at Blue Eyed Girl, here.

I see a beautiful friendship between the ODells collection and me in the future.  If this is their first collection, I cannot wait to see what next season brings!

The Best

Good Morning Ladies.

Do yourself a favor and order these Zara Denim Boyfriend Bermudas.

They are ridiculously soft, extremely comfortable, a fab price and look great with heels or sandals.  

It would be a mistake not to order them.

In fact, I am thinking about getting another pair simply because I love them that much.

A hump day treat.

Summer Time Black and White

Black and white is always my favorite combination.

It is simple, classic and easy to pull together.

It makes summer dressing easy.

1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5

Kate Moss X Topshop

It's here!

After a three year hiatus, Kate Moss has returned to Topshop with a new collection. launching TODAY, that is sure to sell quickly with a mass of women running to their computers to place orders.  The good news is that the collection will not only be available through Topshop but also through Nordstrom, giving you a better chance of picking up the pieces you love.  The collection includes dresses, pants, coats and tops, broken into four different themes; Tailoring Noir, Balearic Dressing, Cocktail Hour and Pjama Dressing.  These are just a few of the pieces that have caught my eye.

  

I absolutely love all the prints and textures that have been used and how easy all of these pieces are to pull off.

You can shop the collection at Topshop here or Nordstrom here.

Here is a little "behind the scenes" video of the collection.  Happy Shopping.

A Calypso Vacation

There are very few stores I walk into that immediately make me feel like I am on vacation.  Calypso St. Barth is one of them.  Every time I visit I wanted to instantly get away to a beach without a care in the world.  They just do vacation right.

Silk Tunic / Cut Offs / Straw Hat / Embellished Bag / Swim Suit / Metallic Sandal

I am definitely dreaming of summer...

Here are some other vacation worthy pieces...

Great Pieces, Great Prices

Here are 12 great pieces to add to your closet for Spring and Summer, all under $100!

Don't forget to enter the Casey's Cupcakes giveaway here!

Style Smaller Shop

A few weeks back, my friend, Savvy in San Francisco, posted on a new shop that was created by her friend, Style Smaller (don't you love the blogging world?  We all seem to meet virtually at some point).  The images she shared had me intrigued and I popped over to take a look.

I was suddenly viewing some of the cutest accessories, home decor and toys that I have ever seen for the littles.

Kate has pulled together an incredible collection of items that make it hard not to order.  I couldn't resist.  With Easter right around the corner I was able to pick up a number of items for Baby Girl's basket that are unique with prices that do not break the bank.  After all the responses on Instagram, asking where I picked up the above necklace and below tattoos, I figured I had to share more.  

Here is just a glimpse at her shop and what you can pick up for your littles.

Accessories

Home Decor

Toys

The best part of all is that Kate is incredible to work with on your order.  

It makes supporting the shop even better.

You can visit the entire Style Smaller Shop here.