Summer Fashion Trends.

This weekend was Memorial Day Weekend, and I was busy getting ready to party it up to ring in summer! If only this LA weather will allow. But either way, I plan to kick of this summer by rocking some fashion essentials that are key for this season. There are a lot of things happening in the fashion world this season that I want to share with you all, but I can't help but notice that some of the Spring season trends are still here to stay! Check out some of those trends by clicking on my Spring Fashion Essentials post.

For summer, I'm bringing you guys six essential trends that you can sport and look like the fashionista in your group of friends. Now without further ado, here are the six pieces you need to start your summer and continue looking great all season. Click on the photos to shop all the looks!!

1. Dad Hats: Dad hats have made a surprising comeback in the trend cycle and its perfect to keep your face safe from the beaming summer sun. Dad hats are exactly what they sound like...they're like those hats that your dad used to wear on the weekends when he'd take you to the park or go golfing. I love that awesome brands are embracing this trend and putting their logos on these hats, like this Antisocial Social Club hat, Drake 6 God hat, and a throwback Calvin Klein logo hat.




Antisocial Social Club Weird Cap, $36.00
Calvin Klein Baseball Cap, $39.00
Jordan 12 "The Master" 6 God Dad Hat, $21.99


2. Boudoir Inspired Dresses: Slip dresses aren't just for wearing underneath your regular dresses anymore! These lingerie style dresses are really light and cute for the summer heat. Anything with spaghetti straps and lace detailing is an A in my book.

                                     

Forever 21 Contemporary Layered Slip Dress, $24.99
Choise Pink Lace Up Front Cami Dress, $12.90
Her Velvet Vase Wintour Classic Maxi, $60.00


3. Playful Sheer Socks: I know what you're thinking...socks for summer?! But no, trust me, these socks are perfect for summer. The sheerness of the socks make them really airy and they breathe easier in the heat. Add a cute pattern to them and they are great! Pair them with a pointy heel for a super New York street style look.

Greatlookz Rock Your Socks Whimsical Doodle Semi Sheer Socks, $8.99

Target Women's Trouser Sock 3-Pack, $7.00

Chelsea 28 Sheer Brocade Crew Socks, $9.00

4. Corn Rows/Boxer Braids: Before the Kardashians started wearing their hair in boxer braids, the African American culture was embracing this trend for years. This hairstyle has been popping up all over, though, even on red carpets. Whenever I can put my hair up and don't have to blow it out, I'm happy, especially in the summer when hair gets frizzy and damp from sweat! This do is ideal for this season.

5. Flat Wire Rimmed Sunglasses: Thick rimmed sunglasses are so last year! Dainty wire rimmed sunglasses are all the rage now. They're giving me a 70's vibe and actually pair really well with trend #2, boudoir inspired dresses.

 


Marc Jacobs Metal-Rim Gradient Cat Eye Sunglasses, $200
Forever 21 Cutout Trim Sunglasses, $9.90
Lulu's Sunday Stroll Gold and Taupe Sunglasses, $17.00


6. White Sneakers: White is a very summer color and accenting your outfit with a white sneaker is the ultimate cool girl style. These go great with any outfit. My favorite things to wear with them are dresses. It't a really great way to make a dress wearable during the day. Switch to heels at night for your summer night parties!

H&M Platform Sneakers, $29.99
Comme de Garcons Converse Low Top Sneaker, $120
Forever 21 Embroidered Eyelet Sneakers, $14.90

Ice Cubes & Flowers.

If you're like me, sometimes you may think that your drinks like water or wine can use a boost of fun and flavor to change things up a bit. I always like adding a little lemon to my water or berries to my champagne, but I wanted to try something different. During one of my many trips to Sprouts and Whole Foods, I always noticed they had edible flowers in their produce section, thought they were cute, and wondered what I could do with them. Then it came to me...ice cubes! I thought this was the perfect way to spice up my drinks, especially with summer coming up.

I bought my edible flowers in a package from Sprouts in the produce section. The package included a mix of flowers that are currently in season including Marigolds, Snapdragons, and Dahlias.

I have this really awesome ice tray that makes ice cubes in the shape of diamonds, which I used to make my ice cubes. As a woman in the gold and diamond industry, I HAD to have this! I bought mine for a steal at Burlington Coat Factory, but you can get one online on Amazon here.

Normally when making ice cubes, the cubes come out all cloudy, but I didn't want that cloudiness to take over the pretty colors of the flowers. To fix this, I boiled the water I was going to use for the cubes twice to get rid of the minerals in the water that cause the cloudiness. While I waited for the water to cool down a bit after boiling, I arranged 2-3 flowers in the ice cube tray in an aesthetically pleasing way. Once the water cooled down, I poured it into the ice tray. I let it sit overnight, but if you're impatient, you can have them ready sooner. Just allow up to 6 hours for the water to set.

They come out looking so pretty! The flowers are a really easy way to flavor your drinks and healthy (depending on what drink you put it in ;)). You could put it in water or lemonade, but I decided to put it in Prosecco! I know what you're thinking...maybe the ice waters down the Prosecco...but actually the cubes are so small that when it melts it's not a whole lot of water and either way, its flavored by the flowers.

This was a fun way to change things up with how I drink...both visually and through taste. Next time, I think I'll try to infuse my ice cubes with some summer berries!

Odys + Penelope.

 I try to have a girls' night with my best friend, Natalie, every month or so, and she's the perfect date, because she always wants to try out new places and sample and share a few things off the menu, which is exactly what I like to do! Last week, she and I ventured to the restaurant Odys + Penelope on La Brea for a night out.

Odys + Penelope is a churrasco (grilled meat) style restaurant, known for their wood fired smoker and open grill in the heart of the restaurant. Most of their menu items are focused around smoked ingredients and are fired in the wood oven. The restaurant is run by Quinn and Karen Hatfield, who are also behind The Sycamore Kitchen. The design inside is very minimal, but it somehow gives it a certain charm. I especially liked that they had a long wall shelf of firewood, ready to be put into the wood fire oven.

We got to the restaurant a little earlier than our reservation, so we started out by having a couple of drinks by the bar. I'm really into mixed whiskey or bourbon drinks, so I ordered this drink that was comprised of bourbon, blackberries, bitters, and amaro. I think the drinks are seasonal so my drink may not always be on the menu, but judging by the taste I had of my friend's drink, you won't go wrong ordering any of them.

So we began ordering a few starters. First, was the fried wild mushrooms with Persian garlic sauce. To be honest, I anticipated these being more crispy than they were. They were still really tasty, but a bit soggy. I absolutely could not get enough of the Persian garlic sauce. Coming from a Persian-Armenian background and knowing a lot about Persian food, I have no idea what makes this sauce Persian, but who cares? It was delicious! The dried, candied lemon garnishes were also actually really tasty.

My girl and I can never say no to fries, so we ordered some of those too. They were seasoned with za'atar, a Mediterranean spice that's really tangy and lemony. We both like dipping our fries in ranch, but the yogurt aioli that was paired with the fries was a really great compliment to them.

I think my favorite appetizer we had was the warm cheese puffs served with a smoked tomato romesco sauce. Oh my God! They were a fluffy, cheesy pastry that was made even better by dipping it into the sauce. I strongly recommend these as a starter. We actually considered ordering another serving of them :X

For our main dish, we shared the slow grilled tri-tip with charred broccoli and O+P béarnaise sauce. The meat was so tender and the béarnaise was the perfect add on to it. I also could not stop eating the broccoli. Natalie had to stop me, because little did I know, the best part of the meal was coming up.

What can I say about this chocolate rye pie? I'll start by saying Karen Hatfield, who is a renowned pastry chef, is behind it so you know it's going to be good. Second, this dessert was named on the list of top 10 desserts in LA by EaterLA. Finally, my honest opinion...it was definitely one of the best desserts I've had! It was super chocolatey and warm, so it was a great contrast to the cold malted ice cream on its side. The peanut crumble on top was also like icing on the cake of this amazing dessert.

Manus x Machina: Fashion in an Age of Technology.

Every year I admire the amazing fashion that comes down the carpet during the annual Met Gala, while simultaneously wishing I could be at the event to witness it first hand and be a part of it. This year was no different! Where some people might think the fashions at the Met Gala are outlandish and strange, I appreciate every single piece of clothing that is brought to that carpet. The weirder, the better! I mean, what other event can celebs just take such big risks with their red carpet looks?

This year's gala theme was Manus x Machina: Fashion In an Age of Technology. It sought to bring to light technology as it relates to fashion. I always hope to see celebrities follow the theme of the gala with their outfit choices...some did and others didn't. Some took the technology thing way too literally and dressed like they were beautiful, sexy robots. But overall, I loved almost all the looks this year! 

My style senses are tingling! Let's get started on my favorite looks. Let me know what you all think along the way...

Couples 

Gigi Hadid in Tommy Hilfiger

Zoë Saldana in Dolce & Gabbana

Kim Kardashian in Balmain

I wish I could have fit Zoë Saldana's entire train in this photo because it was immaculate! I love Zayn Malik's robot arm, it was such an interesting juxtaposition with his suit. And of course, Gigi Hadid can do absolutely no wrong in the fashion world. I actually really liked Kim's sexy robot look, especially her ear cuffs. I didn't, however care for Kanye's look and his piercing blue eyes. When asked why he wore colored contacts, his answer was simply, "Vibes". I don't get it, and I kind of don't want to. 

Jenner Girls 

Kylie Jenner in Balmain 

Kendall Jenner in Atelier Versace

Both Kendall and Kylie's looks were gorgeous. I love that Kendall's dress has strategic beading on the parts of her body that need to be covered and open netting everywhere else. Kylie's dress, to be honest, wasn't that innovative or new, but I have to give it up to her for her hair and makeup. That short hair looks amazing on her! 

Hair & Makeup 

Beyoncé in Givenchy

So speaking of hair and makeup, I think these obviously complete an entire look. Hair and makeup can literally make or break your look, no matter how beautiful and expensive your dress is. My honorable hair and makeup shout out goes to Beyoncé! I usually obsess over her looks from previous Met Galas, but I wasn't taken aback with her dress this year. BUT...her hair and makeup...oh my god! So beautiful, so fierce, she keeps slaying! 

90's Vibes 

Katy Perry in Prada

I really quickly want to mention how cute Orlando Bloom and Katy Perry were sporting Tamagotchis on their outfits as an homage to technology. Wrong decade, but still awesome. 

White and Silver 

Karolina Kurkova in Marchesa

Rita Ora in Vera Wang 

Kate Hudson in Versace 

White and silver was a big theme this year. I guess those colors are reminiscent of technology. But either way, some white and silver looks slayed and others didn't. These looks are killer...like I'm dying for them. Can I somehow borrow these dresses? Literally any of them. 

What is so fantastic about Karolina's Marchesa dress was that it was designed by designers and a cognitive computer! Marchesa worked with IBM's computer, Watson to design and create this dress. A true Manus x Machina collaboration! 

Hot Honorable Mention 

Alicia Vikander in Louis Vuitton 

I've admit before that I have a small girl crush on Alicia Vikander and she's not making it any easier to get over her! This look is amazing and weirdly I see how it reads "technology". What I love most I are those boots! They're so modern and fashion forward. 

Best Dressed 

Claire Danes in Zac Posen 

No dress tonight followed the gala's theme more than Claire Danes in Zac Posen! Fashion plus technology equals Claire as Cinderella coming to life in front of our very eyes. She glowed, she shined, she killed. Manus x Machina all encapsulated in one fabulous dress. I love you, Zac Posen, call me! 

What are all your thoughts? Please share them with me in the comments! 

Spring Stripes and Ruffles.

Spring is in full effect y'all, and I'm rocking the season's biggest hits in one look...stripes and ruffled sleeves!

This weekend my boyfriend's niece turned 4 and celebrate with a Hello Kitty themed birthday, which was so adorable! It was a bright, slightly chilly Spring afternoon so I decided to bust out this gorgeous top I found from the Who What Wear line at Target. Stripes are really in style this season so I knew I found a fashion winner in this shirt, and the sleeves were an added bonus. The sleeves are ruffled, which makes the top look so chic and fashion forward. I could totally see a Parisian girl wearing this as a part of her street style. Or maybe a fashion editor at Vogue who would pair it with a pencil skirt. Can't you?

There was a really cute balloon artist at the party, and I couldn't help but ask him for a pretty pink Hello Kitty balloon bow for myself! I think I was more excited about it than the kids were. I actually may have cut in front a couple of kids to get it :P

I paired the top with jeans and a really simple strappy gray kitten keel shoe. This simple strappy shoe style is really hot for Spring. I found this pair at H&M and it also comes in white and black!

Shop this look by clicking on the photos below...Happy shopping!...

     

Lemonade.

Okay...who else watched Beyoncé's Lemonade special this weekend?! I was celebrating my birthday this weekend so I didn't catch it or DVR it when it aired because I thought I could stream it on my HBO Go account later...but no! I'm not sure why this was a limited event, but I tried watching it on Sunday and I couldn't find it. When I found out the only way I could watch it was to download Tidal, I was kind of feeling apprehensive about it, because...well, it's Tidal. But I really couldn't wait. I mean, she's my idol in terms of beauty, talent, female empowerment, self confidence. So I bit the bullet and downloaded Tidal. After watching it, I had a Lemonade hangover for days! This visual album got me feeling like my boyfriend is cheating on me, when he's probably not. Either way, I'm going to watch it again and make my boyfriend watch it too! I've now finally composed myself enough to write what I thought of it...

The special showcases Beyoncé's new album, Lemonade, with really amazing raw visual album of her. It was basically a really, really long music video. Also peppered in there was various empowering excerpts from Somali-British poet, Warsan Shire spoken by Queen Bey. Lemonade definitely made me want to look into more of Shire's work, because it was so moving and inspiring. The whole video's backbone was around Shire's Warsan vs. Melancholy: The Seven Stages of Being Lonely and traced Beyoncé's struggle with her husband, Jay Z's, infidelity.

Lemonade highlights Beyoncé's trouble in paradise with her husband, which left me so heartbroken, because since their On The Run tour, I've always thought of them as the perfect power couple. I loved her lyrics about the love she has for him and how they're still so horny for each other. But I guess, as life goes, it's not as perfect as we all thought it seemed. If anything, Lemonade brings to light this dark part of Bey's life in an honest, beautiful, powerful, and real way. She also alludes to her father, whom she's notoriously had issues with in the past, and I believe they haven't spoken in a long time, and compares his betrayal to Jay's. People are insinuating that "Becky with the good hair" who Jay cheated with is Rachel Roy...not to be confused as Rachel Ray! To this I say...duh! She's been behind these cheating rumors since the On The Run Tour so I don't doubt that it's her. Plus why would she post that cryptic photo on Instagram and caption it, "Big hair, don't care..."?

What was most heart sinking in the special was Bey's references to the Black Lives Matter movement. As someone who supports this movement, seeing the mothers of Trayvon Martin, Eric Garner, and Mike Brown holding pictures of their sons almost brought me to tears. What put me over the edge was a portrayal of a small excerpt from Malcom X's "Who Taught You to Hate Yourself?" speech, where he simply uttered, "The most disrespected person in America is the black woman". What a sad, but real realization that still rings true today.


                         


In addition to Shire's empowering words, Beyoncé's lyrics are also so poetic and perfect clapbacks to your ex or if you happen to be in the midst of breaking up with your boyfriend. These were some of my favorite lyrics:

• "Headed to the club, I ain't thinking bout you".
• "Got a bigger smile on my face being alone".
• "You can watch my fat ass twist as I bounce to the next dick boy".
• "Sorry, I ain't sorry".
• "10 times out of 9, I know you're lying".
• "I fucked with you until I realized I was too much for you".
• "Don't hurt yourself".
• "Me and my baby gon' be alright, we gon' have a good life".
• "Your heart is broken cause I walked away".
• "Stop interrupting my grinding, I ain't thinking bout you".
• "Give my fat ass a big kiss, boy. Tonight I'm fucking up all your shit, boy".
• "When you play me, you play yourself".
• "Why do you deny yourself heaven?"
• "Ashes to ashes, dust to side chicks".

Let's also not forget that Bey's baseball bat she was holding during "Hold Up" said Hot Sauce on it!! Hot Sauce in her bag swag?!?! This infamous line from "Formation" had us all thinking she actually keeps hot sauce in her bag, but now we know, Hot Sauce is her freaking baseball bat!!

Aside from the beautiful lyrics and spoken word, the cinematography in Lemonade was nothing short of amazingly beautiful. These are some of my favorite shots from the visual album: 

The end of Lemonade shows a home video of Jay Z's grandmother, Hattie White, giving a speech at her 90th birthday. Beyoncé iterates Hattie's recipe for lemonade over the video: take one pint water, add a half pound of sugar, the juice of 8 lemons, and the zest of half a lemon. During her speech, Hattie says that life gave her lemons, but she turned them into lemonade, and this ties the whole album together. Beyoncé was also given lemons in life: her husband's infidelity, her troubles with her father, racism in this country...but she took those lemons and turned it into feminist, black empowered, loving yourself LEMONADE. 

Rosé Wishes and Lavender Dreams

A few weeks ago, I ventured to the LA County Museuem of Art to check out the acclaimed Rain Room exhibit (which was awesome, by the way!). Since I didn't have a ticket to the exhibit I had to be put on stand by for a ticket holder to not show up. In the meantime, I trekked the other exhibits at the museum, but still had time so I decided to get a drink at the cute little restaurant on site, Ray and Stark's Bar.

Now, I'm not necessarily into really fruity drinks, I tend to go for the drinks with bourbon, but one item on the cocktail menu immediately caught my eye...the Rosé Wishes and Lavender Dreams! I love lavender and rosé and thought it would be an interesting combination together, and quite honestly, how could anyone not love the name of the drink? I bet even Robin Leach would love to try this. The drink consisted of sparkling rosé wine, lavender syrup, vodka, and lemon.

I've been to a lot of bars in LA and have had some really great drinks, and I can honestly say that this drink at Ray and Stark's Bar is one of my top 5 favorite cocktails in LA! It has a hefty amount of vodka in it as well, but with the flavors of the rosé, lavender, and a splash of lemon, you can barely taste it. It feels like you're drinking a fancy soda. Fair warning: the drink really creeps up on you...you can barely taste the vodka, but trust me, it's there!

I don't live super close to LACMA and I can't be going there every time I feel like having this drink so I attempted to make it at home, and it actually came out quite successfully! If you can't make it to LA and want to try this drink, I'm bringing it to you with this quick recipe. Make adjustments where you wish (i.e. the amount of vodka), but either way, you are sure to love it! I, personally, couldn't find sparkling rosé, which the bar used, so I just used a Love Noir non sparkling rosé wine.

Rosé Wishes and Lavender Dreams
Serves 2

Ingredients:

• Lavender syrup (1 cup sugar, 1 cup water, 3 tablespoons lavender leaves)
• The juice of 1 medium sized lemon
• 1.5 cups Rosé wine (sparkling or non sparkling)
• 3 shots vodka
• Cocktail shaker
• Jigger 

Directions:

1. Start by making the lavender syrup. Boil 1 cup of water with 3 tablespoons of lavender leaves. Once it has boiled, add 1 cup of sugar until it dissolves in the water. Strain the lavender leaves from the mixture and let cool. 

      2. In a cocktail shaker filled halfway with ice, add 1.5 cups of Rosé wine. **Note: if you're using             sparkling wine, don't shake it in the shaker! Shake the other ingredients first then add the                     sparkling wine after.  

      3. Using a jigger, add 3 shots of vodka to the wine. 

      4. Pour 1 shot of the lavender syrup into the mixture in the shaker. 

      5. Squeeze the juice of 1 lemon into the mixture. 

      6. Seal the shaker and shake the ingredients all together. 

      

      7. Pour the drink into a martini glass and garnish with some lavender leaves. 

      8. Enjoy!  

Cheers!