WEEKEND GETAWAY :: SUNNY SAN FRANCISCO

Though I will freely admit, both Emil and I could happily spend the rest of our lives traveling, most of the time, we find it quite difficult to get away for a proper vocation. After countless cancelled trips, we finally found a way to travel yet still keep up with our increasingly insane schedules. The answer was of course simple, weekend getaways! Though it may seem like 2-3 days can hardly make a difference, in our experience, being away from the madness even for a short periods of time allows for some well-needed down time!

Now, I will once again admit that up until recently I wasn't great at packing for these shorts trips! Since I find it very difficult to be away from my shoes even for short periods of time, I would  almost always overpack yet end up wearing less than 1/5 of what I brought. As a result, my poor boy would get stuck lugging around huge suitcases. Suffice to say, he was not a happy camper:) 

The good news is that I've learned my lesson. Now, I take my time to really plan my outfits, and pack only the absolute necessities, in other words, basically only what I will actually wear:) I've also made a switch from huge suitcases, to much more convenient luggage for short trips, a.k.a. the weekenders.

The one from Lo & Sons I am wearing in today's post is my current favorite! Aside from the fact that I am more than a little obsessed with the fact that it's made from a super lightweight pre-washed canvas, which is machine washable ( I am not exactly very careful with my luggage, so the fact that I can wash it and it looks new again is very much appreciated ), I just love that it's so soft and can be folded for convenient storage. But I think my favorite feature is the bottom zipper pocket! Such a smart design!!! I used to put all of my sunglasses and jewelry cases at the bottom of the bag, which of course made it ridiculously difficult to fish any of them out. Now, I just place them in the bottom pocket and they are always readily accessible! 

What about you guys? How do you pack for weekend getaways?

Lo & Sons The Catalina weekender in Dove Grey | MADEWELL cotton kimono jacket | Chloe The Marcie mini textured leather shoulder bag | Seafarer Lord Jim New capri jeans | Gucci Candy ankle strap sandals 

Lo & Sons The Pearl leather crossbody bag | The Kooples destroyed jean jacket | A.P.C. girl plaid cotton-blend shirt | Zara leather skirt | Kenneth Cole Blaire leather and calf-hair espadrilles 

Thank you for reading

& Keep On Smiling,

LOVE,

Annabelle 

POSEIDON

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

Wanted to share an outfit I wore to a recent impromptu shopping trip. After a few cold, rainy days, I woke up on Friday hoping to see some sunshine, but instead was greeted by dark clouds and chilly breeze. Personally, I don't mind the cold that much, but lack of sunshine, especially a few days in a row, makes me seriously blue. After some sulking and whining, Emil and I decided to take a walk around our favorite spot on Melrose in an effort to chase away some of these blues. After all, is there really a better cure for bad mood than some shopping and dining? Well, that and of course wearing your new favorite sweater also tends to do the trick... At least for me:) 

You see, I had my eye on this gorgeous Alexander Wang number for some time now, so when I spotted it on a recent trip to Nordstrom, I just couldn't resist trying it on. Once I put it on, it was pretty much game over. I knew it was coming home with me:) Can't really decide what I love the most about it, the colors, the bubble texture or the slightly oversized fit, but the combination of all is simply stunning! I really had my heart set on wearing it with white, but seeing how it looked a lot like it was going to rain on Friday, I decided not to take that chance. Suppose this means the sweater is going to have to make another appearance on this blog because it really looks quite beautiful paired with all white. Hope you guys don't mind seeing it again:)! 

Alexander Wang turtleneck sweater in Poseidon | The Kooples leather buckle detail crepe skirt | Stuart Weitzman The Highland boots | DVF Haley studded sunglasses | Celine medium Trapeze bag in black | Rue Gembon Keianna gunmetal rings, Polly rings, Gianna rings & Fie gunmetal rings 

Thank you for reading

& Keep On Smiling,

LOVE,

Annabelle 

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 

SOFT SHADES

Good morning, Everyone! Hope your week is going great so far! I've been taking full advantage of the unseasonably warm weather we've been enjoying for the past couple of days, by wearing a couple of my favorite skirts and dresses. Today's look being a perfect example of that. Not that we should ever complain about the weather in California...

But I am a Summer person, always longing for warmth and sunlight, so I can't help but bring out my Summer wardrobe pieces every chance I get:) 

Joie Caldine leather jacket | Loeffler Randal Rider bag { also love this soft blue version } | Cameo The Label Gerome skirt { similar option here, midi version here } | Finders Keepers Even Deeper jumper { similar here & here } | Emporio Armani ankle strap pumps - old { similar option here, also love this pair } | Wanderlust + Co multi stud silver bangle & arrow split rose gold bangle | Tiffany & Co Atlas open ring 

Thank you for reading

& Keep On Smiling,

LOVE,

Annabelle