BUTTERFLIES

Good morning, Everyone! Hope you all had a wonderful weekend! 

If you read my blog on regular basis, you may have noticed that lately, it's been all about floor-length gowns for me and the amazing, lace and sequined butterfly Via Della Perle number I am wearing in today's post is definitely one of my favorites so far. Couldn't decide what I love the most about it if I tried, but I have a feeling, it is the combination of elements rather than a particular detail. I think what attracted me to this dress in the first place was the beautiful gunmetal butterfly embroidery, but the open back combined with the sexy lace asymmetric hem made me fall in love! 

In terms of styling a floor length gown, though it can certainly look great paired with an up-do and demure, ladylike accessories, I prefer to go for a slightly nonchalant look and wear it with casual hair, edgier accessories like studded heels and  multi-finger rings and a bright lip. 

Thank you for reading

& Keep On Smiling,

LOVE,

Annabelle 

WAITING FOR TONIGHT WITH GUESS GIRL BELLE

Good morning, Everyone! I wanted to take this opportunity to wish you all a very Merry Christmas! May this day bring you love, peace and happiness! Emil and I will be spending today with our family, so I wanted to share a few "getting ready" shots. Since, tonight's dinner is going to be a fairly formal event, I opted to wear a beautiful purple cocktail dress, accessorized with crystal & pearl jewelry and a sparkly clutch. Today was also the perfect occasion to wear my new Guess Girl Belle fragrance, which I am completely in love with!
The fact that it matches my dress perfectly, is just a happy coincidence:) Aside from my weakness for pretty perfume bottles and the color purple, I think what I love most about this particular fragrance is the fun, adventurous and flirtatious scent! What can I say, pink champagne, golden delicious apples, mixed berries, pink peonies, jasmine and violet, combined together, create absolute Magic! Perfect for day or night, it's definitely my favorite at the moment, so check it out when you have the chance. I completed this look with a fairly simple make up, adding just a bit of highlighting powder to my cheekbones and brow bones and a shimmery eye shadow. I also went for a super simple, fuss-free hairstyle, by creating very loose waves with a large-barrel curling iron! And voila! All done:)

What about you guys, how are you spending Christmas Eve and what are you wearing tonight?

Guess Girl Belle eau de toilette | Keepsake the Label dress | Tasha Crystal Swirl clutch | Samantha Wills earrings { also love these } | Tiffany & Co Atlas open ring | Crystal and pearl bracelet - old { similar options here & here } | Essie nail polish in "Play Date"

Thank you for reading

& Keep On Smiling,

LOVE,

Annabelle

A DAY IN A LIFE WITH BAILEY44

5:45am I usually wake up at 5:45 to go hiking. I hate hiking when it's hot, and the weather is much cooler early in the morning! Getting up so early was really hard at first, but I am completely used to it by now. 

7:30am Normally, I hike for about an hour and a half, so, I am back home by 7:30. It takes me about 30 minutes to get ready, depending of course, on how my hair is behaving that day :) As I mentioned before, my make up routine is super simple. A bit of bronzer, blush, lip balm and lipstick is pretty much what I do on daily basis. My eye make up is a tad more complicated, but I've been doing it for sow long, I can do my cat-eyes and mascara in under a minute by now:) Choosing what I wear that day, depends on what I'm in a mood for and what my plans are. Today for example, I had a bunch of meetings in a morning and wanted to look chic and polished, so I went with a sharp dress, structured blazer and a pair of statement heels. 

9:00am Most of the time I schedule meetings and errands for morning. This way, I have time later in the day to take care of all the blog-related things like taking pictures, answering emails and shopping, of course:)

1:00pm Today, I was done with meetings a bit early, so Emil and I decided to grab some lunch at Le Pain Quotidien. We are completely addicted to their coffee and pastries! Normally, I carry my lap top everywhere I go and often do most of my work at a cafe. For some reason I am much more productive this way. Of course, the 2-3 cups of coffee I get, are probably the main reason for my hyper productivity:) 

3:00pm I am completely obsessed with fresh flowers! There are a few different flower shops around LA I normally frequent, but this particular one on Melrose Ave is probably my favorite. I try to stop by at least 2-3 times a week and can never resist buying a bouquet! How gorgeous are these white roses?!

3:30pm I don't necessarily shop everyday but if I'm in West Hollywood area I can't pass on the opportunity to stop by Robertson Blvd. Usually, I head straight to Kiehl's and Mac because I am completely addicted to their products! If you haven't tried Kiehl's Soy Milk and Honey whipped body butter, you definitely should! It smells amazing and makes your skin baby soft!

5:30pm Back home getting ready to go out with Emil for dinner. As I mentioned before, we are complete and total foodies and eating out is one of our favorite things to do! I guess I'm a bit old fashioned, but I like to dress up for dinner. I rarely wear jeans or even pants when we go out, for me it's all about dresses. I feel like when you dress up, it creates a certain atmosphere and makes an evening more special. Today, I chose to wear this gorgeous Bailey44 dress in cobalt, I'm sure you know how I feel about this particular color:) Yet, the main reason I adore this dress, is because it 's a perfect example of sexy yet elegant silhouette. Love the way the body-hugging fit is balanced by longer length and higher neckline!

6:30pm Today, Emil and I decided to go to Eveleigh on Sunset Blvd. We come here quite a bit, not just because we absolutely love the seasonal, farm-to-table inspired menu but also because we adore the rustic decor and the sunny patio! We were introduced to this place about 2 years ago by a friend of ours and have been coming here at least once a week since:)

9:30pm Back home, working on my lap top, either finishing up tomorrow's post or answering emails. If I have some free time after, I like to indulge in some on-line shopping or watch one of my favorite shows at the moment. Is anyone else completely addicted to The Bridge? I know I am:)

12:00am I admire people who can watch TV right before they go to bed, but it certainly never works for me. What does do the trick is reading, I think, I get it from my mom. She always used to read before bed, and I totally inherited this habit:) Emil makes fun of me for that all the time, because no matter where I am, I have to read before bed, but I mean what can I say - like mother, like daughter:)!

Bailey44 Digital divided dress in multi | Illesteva Leonard sunglasses | Sophia Webster Riko cut-out patent leather & suede sandals | Gucci Soho leather disco bag | Bailey44 Password dress in Grey/Black | Barbara Bui Mod's ankle boots | ShopBop leather baseball hat | Bailey44 Biotech dress in Blue/Black | J Crew flower drop earrings | Emporio Armani messenger bag | Vita Vede jewelry throughout 

Thank you for reading
& Keep On Smiling,

LOVE,

Annabelle

FIT N' FLARE

Lace dress with elastic waist via ASOS | DVF Carolina lips satin clutch | Giuseppe Zanotti pointed toe Frida pump { in silver here } | Infinity knot thin gold plated ring & gold plated swallow thin bangle via Goodnight Macaroon | Earrings - thrifted { cute option here } | Essie nail polish in "Where's My Chauffeur" 

Hey Everyone,

Wanted to take this opportunity to share pics from a super fun ASOS collab I got to participate in. Just in time for the Awards Season, I got to style my very own red-carpet, Oscar-inspired look. And since red lace always looks great on the red-carpet, I chose this whimsical and fun crochet-lace dress. A great alternative to black, I think it makes such a bold statement, especially paired with a few metallic accessories. 

Now, here comes the best part! If you want to WIN $500.00 towards your own Oscar-insired look, simply CLICK HERE to vote for your favorite look and Enter! 

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Keep on smiling,

Love,

Annabelle

JEWEL TONES - #DRESSEDFOR #ROMANCE

Velvet tulip dress via Armani Exchange  | Banana Republic belted wool wrap coat { another option here } | Zara clutch | Cara Accessories jeweled and agate statement necklace { also loving this one & this one } | Giuseppe Zanotti pointed toe Frida pump { different color here } | Spider cuff - old { similar here } 

So excited and honored to team up with Armani Exchange for their new project #DressedFor. Since I am a hopeless romantic at heart, #DressedFor #Romance was a perfect fit. A huge fan of little black dresses, as soon as I spotted this A/X velvet tulip dress, I knew it was absolutely perfect. When it comes to LBDs, I always look for special details, such as interesting shapes or rich fabrics. So how could I resist the ultra rich velvet, side pockets and a full skirt, basically all of my favorite elements combined in the same dress:) 

The decision to pair the dress with this burgundy coat came last minute. You see, the necklace I'm wearing was a last minute present from Emil, and I just love the way the color of coat brings out burgundy elements of the necklace. Suppose this surprise gift was a perfect touch to complete my romantic look, though I always have romance in my heart when my sweet boy is by my side... After five years together, I want to say how lucky I am to be with such a kind, wonderful and caring person. Thank you, for being you:)

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Keep on smiling,

Love,

Annabelle