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!

A Mother

Mother

"A mother (or mum/mom/mam) is a woman who has raised a child, given birth to a child, and/or supplied the egg which in union with a sperm grew into a child.  Because of the complexity and difference's of a mother's social, cultural, and religious definition and role, it is challenging to specify a universally acceptable definition for the term."

I am sorry Wikipedia but you are missing a ton in this definition.

A mother is also someone who has sacrificed her prior life for the love of a child, not being able to ever put into words what that love really feels like or what it means, only that it has changed her, forever. No longer is a mother concerned for herself but is willing to travel to the ends of the earth in order to protect her child.  She develops the ability to comfort her child in ways that she never knew she could do, as she realizes that their pain is her pain.  She has also learned that her child will provide more comfort to her than she ever realized they could.  A mother realizes that though having an infant is hard, it is not nearly as hard as seeing them grow up.  A mother watches her child move through life, praying each day that they find happiness.  A mother is always a mother.  She can never go back because...    

A mother is a woman who has been transformed by her child.

When I became a mom 9 1/2 years ago, I had no idea what this experience would truly be like.  The ups and downs of parenting are something you cannot explain, yet something you cannot image living life without.  Some days are hard.  Really hard.  But those days are always overshadowed by how much I love my kids.  Their laugh, their hugs, their smiles.  Life doesn't get any better than this.

To all the moms out there, cheers to you.  Cheers to all the laughs, the cries, the struggles, the triumphs. Cheers to knowing that we are all going through this together.  Cheers to those who are new parents, those whose children have moved out of the home and to those in between. 

I wish all moms everywhere a very Happy Mother's Day.

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

Cucumber and Cilantro Margaritas

Happy Cinco de Mayo!

I have a friend who's son was born on Cinco de Mayo.  I remember her telling me when he was born that he has a fantastic birthday because one, no one will ever forget it and two, there will also be people ready to celebrate with him.  Genius.  Can you image what it would be like to turn 21 on Cinco de Mayo in college?!  

We decided to celebrate Cinco de Mayo yesterday because the weather was just too nice to not sit outside and indulge.  The hubby made his incredible fish tacos and I pulled together these cucumber and cilantro margaritas.  There were some adjustments I made.  I used only one tablespoon of sugar, a little less triple sec and a little more tequila.  We just tend to like our treats more tart than sweet.  They were the perfect compliment to a delicious meal and a summer evening.

Happy Monday.  

Weekend

We made it through the first week back at school after Spring Break.  These are always some of the roughest weeks, returning to structure and schedules after enjoying the freeness that vacation provides.  The kids are tired, the hubby and I are tired and I think we are all really happy to see Friday arrive.

This morning I kicked off the weekend with a great beach run and breakfast with friends.  I know I joke about "lunching with the ladies" but in reality, these moments with friends are such important moments and I love catching them when I can.  The conversation is always fun, we share what is going on in our lives and I walk away feeling refreshed and ready for the chaos that is about to arrive when the school day is over.  I used to feel guilty planning such things, telling myself that if I stay home, I should be productive at all times at home but I never feel guilty anymore.  Just like a person needs to step outside of their office for lunch on a busy workday, I need to step out and catch my breath too.  We all need it at times, no matter what are schedule entails.

If you missed it this week...

I made this yummy Spring time pasta...

I dreamt of a Calypso vacation...

Kate returned to Topshop...

I made a visit to this incredible boutique in San Juan...

Happy Weekend.

Blue Eyed Girl

So this brown eyed girl has been living in a haze and NOT EVEN REALIZING that an incredible Blue Eyed Girl boutique with four locations across Southern California actually had one right in her backyard.  BACKYARD.  To make it all the more silly, she has actually driven RIGHT BY it NUMEROUS times without realizing it was there...FOR 10 YEARS.  This is all madness I tell you. Fortunately for her, she has discovered it and that it really only takes about 5 minutes to get there.  In fact, if her car wasn't working, she could just run there.  Good news for her, bad news for the bank account.

Tucked away in San Juan Capistrano, Blue Eyed Girl offers an incredible mix of classic pieces from collections such as Bailey 44 and Joie, with whimsical and bohemian pieces from collections such as The Odells and Free People.  I slowly walked the store, filling an entire dressing room of dresses, skirts, tops and jackets.  And that was just the clothes.  Add an incredible shoe collection, lingerie, beauty products, jewelry and all sorts of little goodies and you have a perfect one-stop-shop boutique!  Each location carries some of the same yet some different items specific to their location, catering to their clientele and ensuring there is something there for anyone who walks through the doors.

It may have taken me some time to find Blue Eyed Girl in San Juan but it is definitely not going to take me much time to go back.

Along with their San Juan Capistrano location (located at 31103 Rancho Viejo Road), there are also Blue Eyed Girl boutiques located in Laguna Niguel, Laguna Beach and Santa Barbara.  If you are not local, you can also shop on their website here.