Yesterday we celebrated my cousin John and his bride-to-be Mikaela with an engagement party in Newport Beach at Pelican Hill. It was a Breakfast at Tiffany's themed affair so guests were asked to wear little black dresses and Mikaela showed up looking gorgeous in a black floor length gown with a Tiffany blue ribbon belt. I always think to only wear black in the winter and come spring am much more excited for florals and colorful dresses, but was surprised by how many cute springtime LBDs I . . .
Easter Dresses & An Island Egg Hunt For Waiting at Hayden’s
Over the weekend I hid several signed copies of Waiting at Hayden’s in the free little libraries on Balboa Island. I’m always borrowing books from these little libraries to take to the beach. I love finding new reads here that I wouldn’t have picked out at the bookstore and sharing my favorites with others on the island as well. A while back I did a post about creative ways to use your books for home décor, but sharing, re-gifting, and donating books is my favorite use for them—especially . . .
This App Allows You To Watch Scenes & Shop Characters’ Clothes in the PRINT Version of Waiting at Hayden’s
As most of you know, Waiting at Hayden’s is the first book to be published in the new reading experience format shopfiction™, which I coined and branded last year. Links in the digital version of the book and web addresses in the print take you to video highlights where you can watch key scenes come to life and shop the characters' clothes. There are also links the in the digital version each time an outfit is described. You can click on the link and see the character come to life in the . . .
My Favorite Beach Bags and Cover-Ups
This past weekend my cousin and blog photographer, Ryan, moved right onto to the beach, so I got to spend some time in the sand! Though the water is still too cold (for me!) to swim, the temperatures are heating up in Newport Beach and with my brother, mom, and dad coming into town Wednesday, I know we’ll be spending lots of time when I'm not working reading on the beaches in CDM or down the street from my cottage on Balboa. I’ve been looking for a new cover-up for a while now, and . . .
Rainy Day Reads and Clothes To Curl Up In
With the exception of one seventy-five degree weekend, we've been having an unusually rainy February in Orange County. Although I moved from Oregon to California to escape the rain, I do love any excuse to get cozy! I've been living in this cable knit sweater all winter long and throwing on a pair of jeans and Hunter Boots with it when I go out, then pairing it with these leggings and my favorite slippers when I'm home. My cottage on Balboa Island is an old historic house that . . .
Flirty, Feminine Dresses to Add a Touch of Romance to Your Life
I’m all about finding ways to add romance to my life. Last year I spoke about what romance means to me in this blog on Redefining Romance. I consider something to be romantic when an everyday moment feels extraordinary. Or when you catch yourself—or someone else—off guard in a good way. Or when you feel extreme aliveness. A romantic life is my favorite life to live. And it doesn’t depend on another person. This past winter I booked a plane ticket like Cameron Diaz does in the holiday and . . .
