Weekend Pleats

Silk cropped blouse - Patterson J. Kincaid

Skirt - Zara

Necklaces - courtesy of Albeit and courtesy of OFINA Jewelry

Sandals - J.Crew

Purse - Chanel

Sunglasses - Stella McCartney

A few things:

• I wore this outfit to watch and cheer on the Pride Parade along Market Street on Sunday.  Good, happy times and our little dogs got so much fun attention!
• Lots of questions on my recent post regarding this blouse and how I tied it up.  Quite simple, actually!  I tied it (as if you're starting a knot, but just once) and tightened it as much as I could, then tucked the ends in along the sides. Hope that makes sense...!
• And another question in yesterday's post regarding long slacks and changing into flats:  Unfortunately, I don't have a solution for it... but this is why I love cropped trousers!  I never run into the extra length issue whether I'm wearing heels or flats.  I save long trousers for days I know I won't mind being in heels all day long.

Looking forward to an extra long 4th of July weekend with 5 days off!  What are your 4th of July plans??

Wearing Now: Slacks

Jacket - DKNY

Blouse - H&M

Trousers - BCBG

Necklace - courtesy of Albeit

Bracelets - J.Crew, Club Monaco and courtesy of Towne & Reese

Purse - Celine

Heels - Yves Saint Laurent

Sunglasses - Burberry, courtesy of Sunglass Hut

Thank you so much for all of your sweet comments on my new Celine work tote!  It perfectly fits my 12" laptop and all of the little things necessary for my days at the office: scarf, water bottle, yogurt, fruit bars, external hard drive, wallet, business card holder, keys, sunglasses, a book if I can't bear to be away from it for a day, Gap ballet flats in case I have to run on over to the OR, a handful of lipsticks and glosses and some days I throw in a band-aid or two for good measure (just because I have a knack for getting paper cuts).  Call it the Mary Poppins bag.   

What do you carry in your work bag?  Surely I'm missing something?! ;)

Something New: Work Tote

Anthracite Celine Luggage Tote

From obsession to reality - I finally splurged on a new work tote Friday while at Barneys!  My friends know how much I've wanted a Celine Luggage Tote (not to mention my poor hubby who's been listening to me fret over mile-long waitlists and unfruitful visits to the Scottsdale, Dallas and San Francisco Barneys locations...).  Saw this new pre-Fall color called Anthracite, gray with a hint of navy, and instantly fell in love.

No case of the Monday blues here! ;)

To Sausalito by Ferry

Lace top, bustier, vest and cropped trench - H&M

Shorts - American Apparel

Belt - Zara

Necklaces - courtesy of Albeit and Towne & Reese

Bracelets - J.Crew, Club Monaco and courtesy of Towne & Reese

Watch - Burberry

Heels - Miu Miu

Sunglasses - D&G, courtesy of Sunglass Hut

Took my first ride aboard the SF / Sausalito Ferry today & we enjoyed a delicious lunch at Le Garage with our friends and their beautiful baby daughter.  Wish I could describe the Ferry ride for you, but I was too busy trying to control my motion sickness. ;)

I managed to walk to and from the Ferry Building in these 5" Miu Miu's, a testament that they're among my most comfortable heels ever.  And the walk home (uphill) was made sweeter thanks to this cup of Vietnamese Iced Coffee from Out the Door.  Yum.

Wearing Now: Travel Monday

Maxi dress - courtesy of LHC Couture, get yours here!

Blouse - courtesy of Alainn Bella, get yours here!

Necklace - Banana Republic

Rings - H&M 

Bracelets - Club Monaco and courtesy of Towne & Reese, get yours here!

Sandals - J.Crew

My Monday outfit when I hopped on a plane for Fort Lauderdale.  Maxi dresses are great for travel (this one especially because it's wrinkle-resistant and handmade in luxurious modal jersey, LOVE!) but keep in mind they also require extra security pat-downs.  My cup of coffee got pulled aside for chemical screening upon boarding too.  Never the one to scoff at the TSA for doing their job (I'm ever thankful they work hard to keep travelers safe), I just smile and keep on with my cheerful self.  It's the easiest/least stressful way to travel. :)  

Hope you've had a wonderful week so far!  I'm in Dallas now and looking forward to heading back to SF just in time for the weekend!

Taking Care of Shoes

Although I often mention shopping or wishlisting for shoes (like here, here and here), I've yet to share how I take care of my shoes!  So here it is, my 3-step shoe care guide:

1. Protect the soles!  After I prance around in my new shoes for a day or two, my first stop is the shoe repair shop to add a thin rubber coating to the sole.  (And of course red ones for Louboutins!)  This $19 investment is a one time deal, I've never had to replace it.  Added bonus: it's more comfortable to walk in afterwards, especially if it originally has a very thin sole.

If you're in SF, I highly recommend Joe at 441A Stockton Street near Union Square - I've been a longtime loyal customer.  Great service at a great price!!

2. Replace the heel tips - often!  As soon as there is a peep of metal exposed on the very tip of my heel, I run to Joe and spend $8 to replace the tips.  With all of the hills around San Francisco, unfortunately this means I'm running up quite a tab for the tips.  But this is how I'm able to wear shoes for years and years (my work-essential nude Louboutins are nearly 4 years old!).

3. And finally: comfort is key.  Shoes don't last (regardless of how well you take care of them) if they never make it past the break in period because you can't bear to walk in them!  I used to be a huge fan of Dr. Scholl's gel inserts until I tried foam pads courtesy of Stiletto Hardware (my favorites are the Ultra Slender Ball-of-Foot cushions).  They're amazing!

What do you do to take care of your shoes?  Please share in the comments!

Wearing Now: Summer in the Park

Striped swimsuit, straw bag and sunglasses - courtesy of Lands' End Canvas

Blouse - courtesy of Alainn Bella

Shorts and Hat - H&M

"A" Initial Necklace - courtesy of Albeit (get 10% off with code '9to5chic')
Long Necklace - courtesy of OFINA Jewelry

Sandals - J.Crew

Bracelets - Club Monaco and courtesy of Towne & Reese

Ring - Club Monaco

For the first official summer day in the city on Sunday (in the mid-70's!), the hubby and I took to our favorite park in San Francisco for a picnic with chilled Peju Provence wine, kettle chips and good reads (the essentials like Harpers Bazaar, Vogue, Elle and InStyle, of course!). 

Normally a bikini girl, I opted for a nautical one-piece from Lands' End Canvas as part of their summer swimwear campaign.  Turned out to be a fabulous choice: when paired with my Alainn Bella ivory blouse and high-waist trouser shorts, there really isn't anything more classic for a day like this! :)

On The Glitter Guide!

from TheGlitterGuide.com

Happy Monday friends!  Just stopping by with a quick post!  Wanted to share a feature from the amazing ladies at The Glitter Guide - so thrilled to be a Glitter Girl! <3  Read more & comment here!

Had a late change in work plans Friday afternoon and scrambled to make changes to airfares, hotels etc. so I'll be in both Fort Lauderdale and Dallas all week.  Excited to be flying nonstop on all legs of flights (the alternative was a brutal week of 6 flights/20 air-hours), but 5 days without my puppies is going to be tough... 

Thank you for all of your Dallas suggestions - love them!  Hoping to have some free time to check a few of them out! ;)  Hope you have a great start to your week!

Wearing Now: Mint Colored Dress

Dress - H&M (on sale!)

Chambray blouse - Levi's

Cropped trench - H&M

"A" Initial Necklace - courtesy of Albeit, get yours here and use "9to5chic" for 10% off!

Starburst necklace - courtesy of Towne & Reese, get yours here!

Rings - H&M and courtesy of CC Skye, get yours here!

Booties - Givenchy

Purse - Chanel

My Saturday outfit which took me from morning dim sum to afternoon Union Square errands and shopping to laundry duty at home to evening drinks in Sausalito with an old friend.  Good times! 

Happy Father's Day to all of the wonderful fathers out there (and a big special Happy Father's Day to my own!) <3

Wearing Now: More Red

Floral bouse - H&M

Sweater - All Saints

Pants - Zara

Sunglasses - D&G, courtesy of Sunglass Hut
Rings - H&M and courtesy of CC SKYE

Heels - Lanvin

An outfit from a few weekends ago - the red pants and cropped sweater have been in steady rotation lately!

A few of you asked in previous posts about my red lipstick.  It's from Estee Lauder and was part of a gigantic goody bag of gifts presented to me at the Harper's Bazaar/Estee Lauder event!  The color is called Bittin Fig (Pure Color 59) and it's the best red I've found yet. :) 

I'm looking forward to a relaxing weekend: catching up with a longtime friend visiting from LA, hopefully partaking in some dim sum and a lot of time outdoors in the sunshine with the dogs!  Hope you have a great weekend!

Something New: Summer Sandals

$98 J.Crew Sandals at Net-a-Porter (no longer available online - sold out?)

Summer sandals recently acquired during a wifi-enabled flight.  Tan leather and silver glitter makes for the most versatile sandal ever (can't think of a summer outfit I can't wear it with!)

Now, if only more flights were wifi-enabled! ;)

Wearing Now: Metallic Skirt

Skirt - Tucker for Target

Blouse - J.Crew

Blazer - DKNY

Bracelets - courtesy of Towne & Reese, get yours here!

Ring - H&M

Sunglasses - D&G, courtesy of Sunglass Hut

Heels - Chloe

Purse - Chanel

Just a few things:

• Constantly headache-y after an abrupt stop in the car gave me whiplash on Saturday.  My neck is entirely sore, painful and tense.  Makes for even harder work conditions (it's already hard enough to work when it's a beautiful 70 degree day in SF!).  
• Speaking of work, I'm gearing up for another trip!  Dallas.  It'll be a first and although it's a short trip, I'm excited to see it.
• I popped into H&M and was pleasantly surprised to see that their sale had started - picked up a pair of cropped, printed trousers for $20! Apparently whiplash doesn't affect one's ability to shop. ;)

Hope you're having a nice week!

Wearing Now: To the Nordstrom Trendshow

Blouse - J.Crew ($19!)

Bracelets - courtesy of Towne & Reese, get yours here!

Rings - H&M and courtesy of CC SKYE, get yours here!

Necklace - J.Crew

Sunglasses - D&G, courtesy of Sunglass Hut

Skirt - Missoni

Purse - Chanel

Heels - Miu Miu

Early on Saturday morning I attended the Nordstrom Trendshow with my friend Michele (who wore the most amazing, to-die-for The Row leather leggings, LOVE!).  Thank you to Sara, Nordstrom's Beauty Department Manager, for the invitation and for the great front row seats!

What is Trendshow?  A beauty-filled event hosted by Nordstrom: they get 200 ladies pumped over new products during a series of presentations filled with entertaining jokes and beautiful models (male & female!), they offer exciting gifts with purchases/giveaways and they have an army of beauty experts from each brand ready to answer any questions and help you out... it's a miracle I, no, my credit card, survived intact! :)

I am thoroughly trendshow-inspired and there are quite a few products on my wish list now... To get started, how about just the entire Caudalie line?  Perhaps wishful thinking? ;)

Wearing Now: Date Night in the Mission

Black sweater - courtesy of Lamixx, get yours here!

Jeans - courtesy of Levi's

Scarf and ring - H&M

Bracelets - courtesy of Towne & Reese Jewelry, get yours here!

Heels - Chloe

Purse - Gucci

My outfit for date night with the hubby!  After a long, productive meeting-filled workweek (CEO from Paris was in town) I was all too happy to change into Friday night gear.  Tonight it consists of a slouchy, off the shoulder sweater from Lamixx and my zipper-iffic Levi's jeans.

Sushi, here I come! :)

On Refinery29!

on Refinery29.com

It was big, exciting news for me when one of my favorite sites, Refinery29, started their San Francisco edition!  I've been hooked :)  So, to be able to share this fun feature from Refinery29 with you and to be pictured among these amazing local bloggers... wow!!!  Pretty much speechless!!! :) 

Happy Friday, friends!!!  I'll be back later tonight with an outfit post!

Flowers

flowers from the SF Flower Market

A fun-filled last few weeks!  When work doesn't have me traveling, I can actually participate in life's activities! Like:

• dinner with Michele at Tamerine in Palo Alto (Vietnamese food made modern, delish!)
• blogger event at Simply Chic in SF (beautiful little vintage/consignment shop selling Chanel, LV, among others!)
• happy hour with Tammy at Chaya (quickly becoming a favorite happy hour spot)
• the Rue Magazine and Gilt City event (which the hubby actually joined me for!)
• LHC Couture event at the Soma Grand
• and dinner with Dorothy earlier this week and her birthday wine bar party last night!

It won't last long though - I'll be heading to Dallas in no time, with Memphis coming after that and maybe Salt Lake City after that.  Back to the grind!  :)

Hope you're having a great week!

Wearing Now: Soft Pink & Leopard

Blouse - Zara

Blazer - H&M

Jeans - Forever21

Rings - Club Monaco & H&M

Necklace - Aqua for Bloomingdales

Purse - YSL

Heels - Miu Miu

My Sunday outfit.  I can easily swap out the fun leopard heels and spunky ring for a more conservative nude pump and jump right into a casual Friday office environment.  (Don't mind if I do just that, this Friday!)
 
I stopped by the LHC Couture Fashion Event at the Soma Grand on Sunday afternoon to check out the new Fall Collection (thanks Lauren!).  What took my breath away was her bridal portfolio - specifically one gown that had an amazing sweetheart neckline adorned with her signature rope detail.  I was married nearly two years ago and yet I'm still hopelessly fawning over bridal dresses!!!  Apparently the obsession never ends. ;)

*And on that note, a quick congrats to two lovely and recently-hitched bloggers, Anna and Alicia! Congratulations to you and your loves! <3

Railroad Tracks

 Photos by Hannah Suh Photography

Dress - H&M

Vest - Levi's

Belt - J.Crew

Heels - Alaia

My final outfit post with Hannah Suh Photography (first one here and second one here!).  Just love her work - so thrilled to have these photos! 

And I wanted to share one last picture with my very internet/camera-shy hubby... ;)

Happy Monday!