ShuGar Fix Mondays: The Way Way Back Beach House Fashion

|1| Lattice Swimsuit   |2| Jean Skirt   |3| Floral Crop Top   |4| Pink Sunglasses   |5| Love Tote   |6| Black Sandals   |7| Beach Dress   |8| The Way Way Back Inspiration

Hello sweet readers! I hope your weekend was filled with smiles.  We celebrated our two-year anniversary by watching a film and going to a museum (of course!).  It was a beautiful weekend to just be with Mr. ShuGar.

Today’s inspiration post is inspired by last week’s movie review of The Way Way Back.  Since the film takes place in a summer beach house,  the fashion above is what I would love to take to spend some vacay time near the beach.  Isn’t that summer dress the cutest? I think it’s a nice alternative to the normal tunic.  I know school is starting for many, but hopefully you still have a chance to take one last summer getaway.  It’s still summer!

Happy Monday!

ShuGar Fix Mondays is a weekly inspiration series because Mondays deserve an extra dose of pretty. For more ShuGar Fix Mondays, click here!    

ShuGar Fix Mondays: Blue Jasmine Sister Fashion

|1| Gem Drops Earrings   |2| Adette Dress   |3| White Clutch   |4| Brian Atwood Sandals  |5| Pink Tea Blouse   |6| Crossbody Bag   |7| Triangle Earrings |8| Denim Wedges   |9| Print Mini Skirt

Hello, hello! I hope you had a fun weekend.  We had a fab weekend as we went to see the Fab Four cover band. We can never get enough of those Beatles!

Today’s ShuGar Fix is inspired by Woody Allen’s film, Blue Jasmine (to read my review, click here).   If you  haven’t seen the flick yet (what are you waiting for?), the two central characters are adopted sisters from the opposite side of the tracks.  Jasmine (played by Cate Blanchett), is a former New York socialite suffering  major withdrawals from her high society life.  Ginger (played by Sally Hawkins) lives a simple, working class life as a grocery bagger, but remains optimistic.

If I were either of these two sisters, above is the fashion I would wear.  Jasmine is classically elegant with clothing containing clean lines and more muted colors.  On the other hand, Ginger lives a more modest existence and her fashion reflects this.  She wears vibrant colors with a youthful style and maintains a casual appearance.

Which sister are you more like when it comes to fashion? I definitely consider myself a mixture of both sisters:  Quirky with a classic edge.

Happy Monday!

ShuGar Fix Mondays is a weekly inspiration series because Mondays deserve an extra dose of pretty. For more ShuGar Fix Mondays, click here!  

ShuGar Fix Mondays: Museum Day

|1| LA graphic tee  |2| Love bangle  |3| Print skinny pants  |4| Denim jacket  |5| Twist scarf  |6| Oxfords  |7| Yellow bag  |8| LACMA Inspiration

Happy Monday, ShuGar sweethearts! I hope you had a fab weekend.  Mine was very productive since I purged one of my closets bursting with clothes. Felt so good! I also saw the new Woody Allen flick,  Blue Jasmine. Stay tuned for movie reviews on the blog.

For this Monday’s installment of ShuGar Fix Mondays, I thought I’d share some fun fashion for a day at a museum.  For Mr. ShuGar and I, any time we have some free time, we love visiting a museum to check out the latest exhibition and love just roaming the halls of art.  It’s so inspiring to be among great art – it’s like food to the soul.  LA is the perfect place to quench our art cravings.  There is a museum for all artistic tastes, so boredom is not an option.

If you have ever been to a museum, you also know how tiring it can be.  After all, you’re standing and walking for hours, with little respite.  So, comfort is key, but not at the expense of fashion.  Above is my dream outfit for a day at a museum so that you can look cute and still be comfy.  I was inspired by my last LACMA trip I took, displayed in the middle above.

There are so many adorable graphic tees out there.  Pick one that reflects your personal style.  Since printed pants are trending, I picked these cute black and white pants to add some funkiness to the outfit.  I’m sure we all have a denim jacket in our closet, but many of us probably don’t have THIS kind of jacket. It has an edge to the traditional jacket look, a la 1980’s.  Now, I will never understand those ladies who wear high heels at a museum. Really?  That ain’t me. Ever.  I need some stylish flats like these Oxfords to get me through the day.  I love these because they remind me of my Catholic School shoes…retro!  You know me.  An outfit isn’t mine if it doesn’t have accessories!  I’m swooning over these Love bangles with different shades of metal.  And, the pink hair twist from Ban.Do is so whimsical!  Finally, complete your outfit with a Kate Spade Saturday bag from Fab.  Lots of bright colors to choose from, but I love happy yellow.

So, you’re all set to spend a beautiful day exploring the art in your city!  If you’re looking for my pick for LA musuems, below are some of my favs:

• LA County Museum of Art (LACMA)
• Norton Simon Museum
• Latino Art Museum
• The Huntington
• Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA)
• The Hammer
• The Getty

ShuGar Fix Mondays is a weekly inspiration series because Mondays deserve an extra dose of pretty. For more ShuGar Fix Mondays, click here!

ShuGar Fix Mondays: Wrap it Up

|1| Plaid Scarf  |2| Hello Scarf  |3|  Green & Purple Scarf  |4|  Coral Scarf  |5|  Square Scarf  |6|  Blue & White Scarf  |7|  Safety Pins Scarf  |8| Owl Scarf

Hi ShuGar Love readers! I hope you had a nice weekend.  I enjoyed a weekend with lots of “me” time since Mr. ShuGar was away for a bachelor party.  It’s great to have these weekends once in a while.

Now, let’s talk fashion.  One accessory that I wear year round is a scarf.  No matter what the weather is, I can always find a scarf to suit any occasion. Scarves give you that extra pop with any outfit and provide some warmth in chilly-ish weather.  I just love the variety of scarves we are seeing in fashion right now.  For my personal style, I gravitate towards some funky prints.

All scarves above were inspired by me finding my old purple scarf (pictured in the middle of the inspiration board) this past week. It was buried in my drawer and I forgot I even had it! I love when that happens; It feels like you went shopping in your closet!  I don’t remember where I bought it.  I have a feeling it was in Paris, but I’m not too sure.

These scarves have a quirky vibe; I dig ’em! The “hello” scarf contains a print of the famous Jerry Macguire quote, “You had me at hello.”  How freakin’ awesome is that?! Although I also enjoy solid colored scarves, there’s something really special about scarves that have geometric shapes like #1, #4 and #5. Who doesn’t like safety pins on a scarf? If you do, #7 is the scarf for you. It doesn’t get any crazier than an owl print in #8. It’s perfect for us die hard Harry Potter fans!

I encourage you to consider wrapping your beautiful neck with a scarf!

ShuGar Fix Mondays is a weekly inspiration series because Mondays deserve an extra dose of pretty. For more ShuGar Fix Mondays, click here!

ShuGar Fix Mondays: Sea of Love

|1| Merona Floppy Hat  |2|  Navy Anchor Earrings  |3| Cream Scallop Swimsuit  |4| Aqua Art  |5| Roslyn Top  |6| Beach Bag  |Summer Lovin’ Inspiration|

Happy Monday ShuGar readers! Since summer is in full swing, I thought it would be fun to do a summer mood board inspired by the Summer Lovin’ art piece in the middle (insert John Travolta & Olivia Newton John singing). I’d like to start a new feature on the blog dedicated to my blog’s theme of Love called ShuGar Fix Mondays. We all know Mondays can be particularly challenging, so I like the idea of adding some much-needed sweetness to the beginning of our work week. I will be posting pretty inspirations to help get our work week started in a sweet way!

When I think of summer, I think of the movie Grease and also of this Sea of Love cover by Cat Power.

 

 

I am practicing letting life flow through me and not letting the negative things stick, much like waves in the ocean. I want to be someone that let’s things go and is able to embrace all the complexities of life. What better time to do it than summertime! These pieces above all evoke a sense of summer and hopefully give you a dose of pretty ShuGar for your Monday.

Feeling Nude

You know when you have those days when you want to just “be”? There is no need for too much of anything because you only want to feel simple and classic.

The older I get, the more comfortable I am in my own skin, regardless of the vulnerability associated with this exposure.  In my 30’s, I have acquired a sense of empowerment knowing that I have embodied my true self. I am me and I make no excuses for all that I am. I am a work-in-progress when it comes to my weaknesses, and I understand my strengths. More importantly, I love me and I am not interested in having anyone in my life who doesn’t treat me with respect.

Well, I have been gravitating towards more nude and blush tones when it comes to my fashion choices.  But, of course, it wouldn’t be my style without a touch of sparkle.  In this case, a sprinkle of gold adds just enough glamour. Behold my nude inspiration board inspired by the center picture of a woman dripping in gorgeous nude fashion.

|1| Sequin Bolero |2| Ban.Do Sparkle Headband |3| Kate Spade Gold Handbag |4| BCBG Nude Sunglasses   |5| Betsey Johnson Bow Studs |6| Laura Mercier Naked Lip Pencil  |7| Laura Mercier Nude Lip Color |8| Kate Spade “Terry” Flat  |9| “Karissa” Pump |10|  Blush Blouse |11| Top Shop Organza Dress

Dotty Madness

Polka Dots!

I just can’t get enough of them these days and below is a fashion photo session as proof of my addiction to dots. Mr. ShuGar took some beautiful pictures of my dotty obsessions in one of our favorite neighborhoods, Abbot Kinney in Venice Beach.

Due to the outdoor bright light, it may be hard to tell in some pictures, but I am wearing pink polka dot pants in these next couple of photos. I would have normally shied away from pink and polka dots, but they are just too cute. These pants are from the Gap (see below for details) and they are on sale now! What I am loving about the current prints trend is the actual mixing of prints. Gone are the days when you could only wear one part of our outfit with a crazy pattern. Now, it’s all about mixing up prints!

I chose to wear this navy lace top with the pink polka dot pants. I enjoy the look of the color contrasts – hard and soft.

As with any outfit, I like to have fun with my accessories. I am wearing a pink pom pom from one of the cutest stores: Ban.do. I discovered this online store when I was searching for wedding veils and I’ve been hooked ever since! They just have such lovely accessories, and whenever I look at their website I’m like a kid in a candy store!

The final touch was the handbag. My bags tend to be heavier, but I welcome a nice shoulder bag that has a heart on it (You know how I feel about hearts!). This handbag is from Forever 21 and unfortunately it’s sold out, but there are plenty of others similar to this. You might also try Top Shop.

Series #1: |Gap Pink Polka Dot Pants|  |Target Lace Blouse|  |Ban.Do Metallic Pink Pom Pom Flower|  |Forever 21 Shoulder Bag| |Forever 21 Cat Eye Sunglasses

Our next trip was to Intelligentsia Cafe to grab a cup of coffee and take a break. For work, I use this teal messenger bag I bought from Amazon and I can’t tell you how many compliments it inspires. Adorable faux buttons line the front flap and then inside there is an additional surprise….polka dots! Love!

 

Series #2: |Teal Messenger Bag|

Amazon has all sorts of fun computer accessories. I wanted to change out my old MacBook Air blue hard case, for something spunkier. I found this adorable polka dot skin and it’s so whimsical. Perfect for my style!

Series #3: |Macbook Air Polka Dot Skin|

The second outfit change was for something more formal; something more appropriate for work. Palazzo pants look so sexy and you feel sexy with them on. They can be worn with flats or with platforms, and they just exude an air of elegance. I purchased these dotty palazzo pants from Target.

Remember I mentioned mixing prints? Here’s another example of this.  I paired my polka dot palazzo pants with a yellow and white striped blouse from New York & Company.

Denim is back, in case you haven’t heard! I love to use it whenever I can. I thought a denim blazer would look great with the navy palazzo pants. Any jean jacket in your closet will work!

Finally, I couldn’t resist wearing my  favorite heart-shaped sunnies.

Series #4:  |Target Polka Dot Palazzo Pants|  |New York & Company Striped Button Blouse|

Some other fun polka dot accessories are below. I recently re-styled our bathroom and chose to go with a polka dot shower curtain, similar to the one seen below from Target. I also just purchased the Samsung Galaxy 4 and ordered this cell phone case from Amazon.

Extra Polka Dot Goodies:|#5: Target Polka Dot Shower Curtain|  |#6: Polka Dot Samsung Galaxy 4 Case|

As you can see, I am mad for polka dots! I hope you can enjoy them as much as I do.

All photos taken by Peter Shushtari

Flower Power

|1| Metallic Tip Patent Floral Flat  |2| Jersey Floral Skimmer Flat  |3| Flower Print Pants  |4| Happiness Flower Canvas  |5| Soft Flower Canvas

|6| Darkbloom Dress  |7| Pastel Dress  |8| Flower Tea Dress

I hope you had a nice Memorial Day weekend!

I don’t know how many floral dresses I had growing up as a child, but I can guarantee I had a closet full. The ones I wore as a child were cute, but the ones I wore as a teenager seemed more cheesy than cute. Eeew..flower ruffles!

I credit summer for inspiring this dream of  flowers. I am looking forward to planting flowers in our yard to add some color to all the greenery. Lately, I’ve been going to the supermarket and looking for different bouquets to decorate our house. I currently have peonies in our living room thanks to a recommendation from a friend that said they are very economical at Trader Joes.

This summer I am loving the revamping of the cheesy floral fashion. Florals are very much in season literally and figuratively. I was inspired by these two floral canvases when I was searching through Pinterest. You can use florals as a statement piece with one of these sweet dresses/pants or you can embrace a touch of florals in your flats. Using a floral print is also great for your garden summer parties or during this wedding season time. Flowers in your fashion exemplify summer fun outside in this gorgeous weather. When I see any of these floral pieces, they just make me smile!

Happy Short Week!

 

Summery Nails

Summer is almost officially here and I am getting ready to enjoy it! First things first, I went to CVS to get some new nail polish because I had to do something to prepare for the days being longer and the sun shining more (although in So Cal it shines lots anyways). I decided to pick out these two summery colors: Mint green and Lilac. They do have a spring feel to them, but they also translate to the fun summer vibe.

What I like about these two colors is that they pop with whatever you are wearing. Sally Hansen’s #270 Lacey Lilac is nice and soft and the #340 Mint Green has a bolder tone.

Both are cute and perfect for summer outfits. The best part is that they each cost under $4.00! Add a vibrant color to your nails to welcome summer!

Photo credit: Peter Shushtari

Font & graphic layout – We Lived Happily Ever After

Chunky Necklaces

|1| Turquoise Necklace |2| Geometric Neon Leather Necklace |3| Indira Necklace  |4| Bamboleo Necklace |5| Lizzie Fortunato Necklace 

Confession: I am an accessories addict. If you know me, you can verify my claim.  Accessories can make or break an outfit, sometimes more than the actual clothes you are wearing. My perspective on accessories is that our bodies are a blank canvas. I welcome the chance to “decorate” myself from head to toe to reflect my personal style: quirky cute.

Chunky necklaces are the easiest way to take any outfit from drab to fab. The trick is knowing what to pair your chunky necklaces with and what accessories (not) to wear with them.

First, let me start by saying I do not shy away from any color in my wardrobe. I know some people like to stick with certain color paletttes, but I welcome everything, just not all at once.

Above are 5 of my current chunky necklace obsessions – all different, but all gorgeously bold.  One of the things that you will notice right away is that the color blue is a common thread among several of them. After all, it’s my favorite color and turquoise is my favorite stone. Necklaces #’s 1 and 4 show turquoise in different variations – oh so fun!

When wearing chunky necklaces, you really need to tone down the rest of your outfit so that the necklace itself is the signature piece that draws the most attention. You can certainly wear a patterned blouse, but patterned pants on top of a patterned blouse topped off with a chunky necklace might be too jarring.  However, fashion has no rules so you can probably make anything work!

When I wear chunky necklaces, I usually wear simple stud earrings or opt out of wearing any at all. I don’t want to overpower these bold necklaces because they demand all the attention. You can have accessories with different shapes. For example, #5 gold necklace reminds of  the current Great Gatsby trend and it resembles more of a choker than a longer loose necklace. Bibs are also great because they lie perfectly on your chest and can carry many different stones on them. Another trend right now is geometric neon shapes as seen in necklace #2. You can dress this necklace up or down if you wear it with a plain white tee or an elegant flowy blouse.

I recommend experimenting with chunky necklaces – you won’t know what will look good on you until you try! Fashion should be about having fun. I say, “Go chunky and bold or go home!” =)