MINI MINT

Good morning and happy Friday, Everyone! Hope you all had a wonderful week! I suppose it's not really a big secret that I have a weakness for brights and pastels and though I love color in general, I certainly have my favorites. Well, mint just happens to be one of them... Don't know about you guys, but I think, mint is pretty much Summer personified. Soft and pretty, for me wearing mint, somehow signals the arrival of Summer and all the wonderful things that come with it, i.e. sunshine, sandals, sun tans, swimming and seaside:) 
And since we are talking about favorites, my other weakness at the moment is co-ords. I suppose the main attraction is their versatility. I know I talk about it a lot, but I really love pieces I can restyle in a multiple number of ways, and co-ords are definitely perfect for that. Worn together or separately, to me co-ords are like a 3-in-1 outfits, and I can certainly appreciate that. Which brings me to my latest obsession, i.e. the gorgeous mint-colored perfection of a set I am wearing in today's post. Aside from being a combination of 2 of my favorite things at the moment, I absolutely adore the floral trim and the uber feminine silhouette. Of course, the fact is that it just happens to come in my most favorite shade of mint might have something to do with it too:) 

MINUSEY neoprene skirt & top set, Swarovski mint earrings, clear chain bracelet & Wayfarer mirror sunglasses | Chanel Boy flap bag | Saint Laurent Jane leather ankle strap sandals | Yves Saint Laurent nail polish in Beige Leger 

Thank you for reading

& Keep On Smiling,

LOVE,

Annabelle 

SHORT SHORTS :: BANANA REPUBLIC x MARIMEKKO

Good morning, Everyone! How is your week going so far? Have you ever had one of those days when everything seems to go your way? Well, I definitely had one of those recently! I woke up in the morning to find a package containing the Banana Republic x Marimekko shorts I've been drooling over, came in early. You know how much I love tailored shorts and the color blue in general, but the combination of vivid blues, turquoise and polka dot pattern, made them completely irresistible:)

Next, me and my new shorts headed to down town to run some errands, and interestingly enough my good luck continued. Empty parking spaces opened up right in front of me, I came in to my favorite bakery just in time to grab the very last Rose-flavored macaroon and the flower shop I frequent, had just one bouquet of daisies left in my favorite shade of pink. Yes, it was definitely one of those days... Kinda wishing every day could be like this, though I suppose if every day was like this, I probably wouldn't appreciate it as much:) 

Banana Republic x Marimekko Rasymatto Hampton shorts | Banana Republic sheer-insert blouse & Dalia bucket bag | Joie Caldine leather jacket { in cream here } | IRO Saresha sandals { also love this leather option here } | Blue mirrored sunglasses - old { similar here } | Bauble Bar Big Love cuffs, crystal barrel cuff, crystal parallel ring & diagon ring quad 

Thank you for reading

& Keep On Smiling,

LOVE,

Annabelle 

SUNSHINE & STRIPES :: MEMORIAL DAY PICNIC AT THE BEACH

Good morning, Everyone! I hope you had a great weekend! In honor of Memorial Day, I wanted to share a tradition we have in our family. You see, every year no matter where we all are or how busy we get, we always make the time to get together, spend the whole day at the beach and have our annual Memorial Day picnic. Though there are a ton of beaches to choose from in California, we always end up somewhere around Malibu. There is definitely something about the beautiful white sand and turquoise water that inevitably draws us in and to be quite honest with you, at this point we cannot imagine spending Memorial Day anywhere else. 

As far as picnic food is concerned, none of us are particular fans of eating heavily on a hot California day, which is why we like keep it pretty light. Normally, we serve a ton of salads, crab salad being my particular favorite, fruits and of course refreshing drinks like lemonade or sparkling water. The only exception being desert, because I don't know about you guys, but my appetite for sweets doesn't diminish in any weather:) 

Knowing I'll be spending the whole day at the beach, I like to keep my outfits comfortable and since I am a bit traditional when it comes to Memorial Day attire, I like to adhere to the red, white and blue color palette. Today's look is no exception of course. For me, denim is synonymous with comfort, and a pair of cute denim overalls is just a perfect thing to wear to roll around in the sand. I paired my overalls with a super lightweight, slightly slouchy sweater because I love to wear things that feel good on and move with the breeze. I completed this look with a pair of oversized sunnies, a boyfriend watch and a few layered bracelets because quite frankly I can't go anywhere without my armparty:) 

What about you guys, do you have any Memorial Day traditions? 

EXPRESS overall shorts, dip dyed stripe slub knit sweater, multi-function watch in gold & cut-out metal sunglasses { in black here } | Pierre Hardy Red espadrilles { also love these ones } | OPI nail polish in Cotton Buds

Thank you for reading

& Keep On Smiling,

LOVE,

Annabelle 

BOTANICAL BRIGHT

Good morning, Everyone! Hope your weekend is going great! I am so honored to team up with ShopStyle and Luisaviaroma to talk about some of my favorite Spring/Summer 2014 trends. Given my penchant for bright colors and botanical prints, I suppose it's only natural that the "Plant Food" trend is one of my favorites this season. Though it may seem a bit intimidating at first, I think the key to wearing this bold trend is by pairing botanical-print pieces with solid colors, thereby making the print the focal point of your look. Unless of course you are feeling particularly adventurous, in which case feel free to rock it head-to-toe! 

Another favorite trend this season is the "Laser Trail", characterized by sharply cut edges, laser cut details and strategic cut-outs. Fun and edgy, I think one of the reasons I love this trend so much is because laser-cuts create such interesting textures. Though, I suppose another reason why is because  I am a bit partial to any light and feminine trends and laser-cuts definitely give fabrics a very delicate feeling, a bit reminiscent of lace. Not really sure there is a wrong way to rock this trend, because it looks great with just about anything. 

Todays look incorporates both my favorite trends. Because I wanted to keep all of the attention on the botanical print sweatshirt, I paired it with a mesh laser-cut edge perfection of a skirt and strappy heels, both in white. To finish the look, I added just a few accessories in complementary colors and a super bright mani in a matching shade of orange. 

What about you guys, any favorite trends this season? 

MSGM cotton fleece sweatshirt  { also love this print } | AVIU techno mesh skirt | Gucci Soho bag { more favorite black cross body bags here & here } | Saint Laurent Jane ankle strap sandals { currently craving these white Saint Laurent pumps } | BaubleBar earrings { also love these } | White leather wrap bracelet - old { more favorites here, here & here } 

Thank you for reading

& Keep On Smiling,

LOVE,

Annabelle 

This post was brought to you by ShopStyle & LuisaviaRoma. 

:: SHOP THIS POST ::

PEARLS & POLKA DOTS :: BANANA REPUBLIC x MARIMEKKO

Good morning, Everyone! Hope you are having great day! I wanted to say a quick hello and share a few images of my latest obsession, i.e the insanely gorgeous Banana Republic x Marimekko skirt I am wearing in this post. When I first came across it, I simply couldn't believe I finally found a skirt that combines all of my favorite elements. I mean seriously, volume, cute print and pockets, what else can a girl ask for?:)
I've had it for about a week now, and I have to confess, I've pretty much been wearing it non-stop. It really is one of those pieces that go with everything, from tailored blouses to crop tops and look equally great dressed up or down. So, I hope you don't mind if makes multiple appearances on this blog because I have a feeling this skirt and I are going to be best friends for a while:) 

Banana Republic x Marimekko Kivet full skirt | Dior Mise en Dior earrings | Keepsake The Label white noise top { similar here & here } | ASOS Holborn heeled sandals & flat top cat eye sunglasses | Rafe mother-of-pearl box clutch | BaubleBar crystal barrel cuff, crystal parallel ring & diagon ring quad | OPI nail polish in Cotton Buds 

Thank you for reading

& Keep On Smiling,

LOVE,

Annabelle