If you follow me on Instagram + Instagram stories you would've probably noticed that I've been all about denim and loafers. After 4 attempts I finally received these Top Shop loafers and they've been my go-to lately. They are a definite Gucci knock off but for a reasonable price. I think loafers will easily be the top shoe trend this fall. Here are some of my current faves under $100.

1.  Top Shop

2.  H&M

3.  F21

4.  Michael Kors (on sale)

5.  Steve Madden

Hawaii

A couple of weeks ago I hopped on a plane to meet my husband in Hawaii. He has been deployed for the past couple of months and was going to be in Hawaii for a conference , so what better place to have a meet-up with my husband then in paradise. 

We both arrived on Saturday after a long flight to Hawaii we were running on pure adrenaline/excitement to be together again. We picked-up our rental and decided to not waste any time and drive up to the North Shore. The drive was beautiful but busy since there is only one way in and one way out. We parked walked around town and ate at Teddy's where I had the most delicious buffalo chicken sandwich. After stuffing our faces we were both exhausted and headed back to the hotel for a shower where jet lag kicked in big time. Needless to say we were asleep at 7pm.

11 / My current style

                             

This is the perfect fall outfit even in SoCal. I picked up these Madewell chino pants last week and I have been getting a lot of use out of them. They are so comfortable and go with everything they're easy to dress up or down. I think these chinos will go great with loafers, oxfords or tennis shoes. If you haven't already jumped on the loafer trend I highly recommend it because you will be seeing loafers everywhere this fall. 

07 / Weekly Inspiration

NYFW is over and done with and we were left with so much great style. Harpers Bazaar captured some amazing style and here are some of my favorite looks. 

Have a fabulous weekend !

06 / Weekly Inspiration

Summer is almost gone that means fall just around the corner well for most except for California. It seems like it's always spring/summer here - no i'm not bitter about it. For those of you who haven't checked out J.Crew's current catalog let me just say you are missing out. I lost count on how many times i've actually looked at it but from the gorgeous pink cover to all the wonderful clothing inside it's hard to put down. Lets just say I want to go out and buy everything pink. I've never gravitated towards that color but J.Crew has changed my ways. Here's a glimpse of what I dog eared in this months catalog.

10 / My current style

                                          

08 / My life lately

Wearing | I recently ordered these Jeffrey Campbell x Free People and I love them. They're a great alternative to these Marais sandals that I love and more affordable.

Planning | I plan on having a finished living room by Thanksgiving. That gives me 3 months to decide on a rug, coffee table and wall decor. Ugh.

Reading | I am currently taking Web Development courses and my readings this semester will be all about databases and SQL.

Wanting | I want to be able to decide on a coffee table. We just ordered a chair for our living room and I'm still undecided on a coffee table. I just want our place to be done already. I hate deciding on furniture but I did promise my husband it would be complete when he got back in November.

Listening | If you have Sirius radio then you need to tune into channel 18 Yacht Radio. Yacht Radio is where it's at!

Watching | We just finished Stranger Things and it was good , i'm not big into sci-fi but it kept my attention for the whole season.

Insta obsessed | Amy Stone insta is like a Christopher Cross album full of beach homes, sail boats and Upstate NY. This gal has style and her feed is breath taking.

05 / Weekly Style Inspiration

This summer's style inspiration has come from the chicest chick of them all Haley Boyd. Who is Haley Boyd? For starters she has killer style and is the Creative Director of Marais USA - I'm sure you've either purchased Marais USA sandals or have on your wish list but Haley is the gal behind the shoe. She resembles the lovely Emily Haines (lead singer from Metric) and she looks like she just walked off the set of The Talented Mr. Ripley. Haley's style screams California and she shares her love of culottes, midi skirts and straw bags  perfectly on her Instagram account check out some of her snaps after the jump.

Have a fabulous weekend.

07 / My life lately

Zara top & shoes/ J.Crew bag & shorts / Warby Parker sunnies

Wearing I can't get enough about culottes. I picked up a couple of these  from Zara and they have been on serious rotation.

Planning My husband and I are planning on taking a much needed vacation in January but we are still undecided where we want to go. So far we've thrown around London, Paris or somewhere tropical.

Reading I recently ordered The Girl From The Train so I'm excited to start it before the movie comes out.

Wanting I'll take anyone of these Marais USA sandals in a size 6 1/2 please & thank you.

Listening I've been really bad about keeping up with new music normally I"m listening to Sirius XMU for the hip new alternative band but lately I've either been listening to podcasts (Garance Dore, I Am  Rapport or Joe Rogan Experience) or playlist on my Apple Music.

Watching Since most of the shows are on hiatus I am watching Ray Donovan , Ballers and of  course everything on Bravo.

Working on my Photoshop skills.

Insta obsessed If you haven't already heard Instagram turned Snap Chat on us overnight and the question now is to Snap or not ? Either way you should be following @Alyssainthecity .

Random thought ... I've been looking for coffee tables and I can't decide on one I need help ? Round or rectangle ? Marble top or white top ? Modern or mid-century? so many decisions and so little funds.

09 / My Current style

            


Do you follow me on Snap Chat? If you do then you would have noticed I've been wearing culottes practically every day. I'm so loving this trend right now it's perfect for camouflaging my hips / thighs perfectly and of course keeps you cool on those hot summer nights. If your uncertain on how to style them no need to worry I got you covered- crop tops are your friend when it comes to culottes. When wearing these to the office I go for a more fitted button up tucked in. I hope this trend sticks around till next summer . What are your thoughts on this trend?

04 / Weekly Style Inspiration

via 

One of the many things I miss about Baltimore is riding my bike to work & around the city. Even though I've had a handful of close calls getting on my bike strapping my bags to my basket and riding through the streets was my happy place. I have a little obsession with girls on bikes - style wise. Some girls can pull off some chic looks on a bike however the first pic is more my style- close toed shoes, denim (incase you fall off prevents road scrapes), and sunnies. I always admired the ladies that bike in heels I don't know how they do it especially when you have to make brief stops. Here's  some girls on bikes inspiration to end the week. Happy Friday & have a fabulous weekend. 

06 / My Life Lately

Wearing Levi's shorts, Birkenstocks & basic tee I know ... groundbreaking.

Feeling like i'm ready for cooler weather and for my husband to come home.

Reading just about finished with Anderson Cooper's book The Rainbow Comes & Goes .

Wanting this off-the-shoulder top , this navy jumpsuit , and you know my love for a crop pant .

Listening to a lot of podcasts as of late I have been rotating Marc Maron's - WTF w/ Marc Maron , The Joe Rogan Experience & I am Rapaport w/ Michael Rapaport.

Watching Ray Donovan so pumped about the new season which started a few weeks ago.  Also TNT's new show Animal Kingdom with Scott Speedman it's so good.

Working on my ceramics class. It started a few weeks ago and I made my first slab piece on Saturday and it was a bust because of the instructor. I'll explain later once I get it back.

Eating heirloom tomatoes, avocado and cucumber salads all day everyday.

Instagram obsessed with Taylor Sterling from Glitter Guide. Her Insta feed is the perfect pink.

Random thoughts ... really stoked about SJP new show Divorce (watch trailer) .

03 / Weekly Style Inspiration

Levi's are the "it jean" this year. Levi's have been around for some time however this year I'm sure their stock has gone up. In the late 80's Levi's 501 were the jeans to have and then it seemed Metallica and all the metal bands took them over and Levi's somewhat faded out. This year I have seen them everywhere from Gigi to Kendall ya I'm on a first name basis with them. The great thing about Levi's is they are pretty inexpensive. I've gotten really lucky finding a couple of pairs at my local Goodwill in the men's department for under $10. I'm not a fan of the 501 style simply because they don't work well with curves. The couple of pairs I have are the 569's which I made into culottes and the 559's that I cut and turned into shorts. Both styles are high waisted so they sit above my belly button which give me a nice hour glass figure. So for this week's style inspiration lets look and see how women with no curves wear their Levi's. 

What are your thoughts about the Levi's trend?

08 / My current style

                                  

If it's one color that I wish I could pull off it would be yellow. I love the color it's a color that just brings sunshine to your day. However since my skin has a yellow tint to it if I wear this color it makes me look like I have jaundice. It looks like yellow is the "it color" this summer and I can't contribute to that but I can dream so this is what I would pair with this gorgeous dress from Zara. Since the color is a huge pop I would mute the rest of my outfit from shoe to sunglasses. I would finish this outfit with a light pink lip and barely there make-up.

What are your thoughts on this color trend ?

02 / Weekly Style Inspiration

A couple of weeks ago I was in NYC and finally got my hands on some Adidas Stan Smith's in blue. I've been stalking them online for sometime unfortunately my size is always sold out and when we were browsing Soho we walked into their enormous Adidas store just to see if they had my size and without hesitation the store clerk was like "sure let me go get them!" I held my breath until she came back with my size.  I was giddy the entire trip and couldn't wait to put them on , if my feet weren't a mess from all the walking I would've put them on at the store. Since hitting my late 30's I decided comfort was my number one priority - my dogs (feet) deserve a break. So I am embracing the sneaker trend and pairing my Stan's with pretty much everything. Here's some stylish ways to sport your Stan's.

Hello Summer !

Summer is here and so is the heat so for the next few months I will be living near the beach. This is my first summer as a Californian and if you need me i'll be living on the beach for the next few months till it gets down to 60 degrees. My beach essentials are as follows beach blanket,  a good book, sunglasses , a large hat , snacks ,  a good swimsuit and lots of SPF. I recently took advantage of Madewell's 30% off sale and scored this beach blanket. I cannot wait to have picnics on it and lay around the beach. Below you will find my 5 favorite swim suits at the moment. 

What are your beach essentials ?

1. Madewell - top , bottom

2. Zara  - one piece 

3. Old Navy -  top, bottom

4. Asos - one piece

5. Urban Outfitters - one piece

07 / My current style

                            

If you follow me on Snap Chat you would have seen me obsess over this midi skirt from Zara. It's super light weight , with pockets and its high waist is perfect for the summer. It's on my list for summer picks but until I get my hands on it I will just day dream about it. It's sometimes hard to pair a flowy skirt with something else besides a tank top or tee but pairing it with this off the shoulder top would be perfect for any occasion. I would wear this for date night, outdoor concert, drinks with my girlfriends etc. What do you pair your midi skirts with ?


More midi skirts : here , here , here , here , here  

01 / Weekly Inspiration

Jumpsuits , rompers whatever you want to call them are the it trend this spring / summer. They've slowly been making their way into everyone's closet including mine. I recently picked up this jumper and I now see what all the rage is about. It's an easy outfit to put together all you need to decide on are your shoes and handbag- easy does it. I'm sharing some of my current faves down below - happy shopping! 

TOP 5 JUMPSUITS : 

1.  OLD NAVY ($40)

2. BANANA REPUBLIC ($148)

3. TOP SHOP ($95)

4. FOREVER 21 ($28)

5. J.CREW ($138)

Sliding into summer

                                              1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 , 7 , 8 , 9

I recently purchased these sliders from Zara in gold and I love them . They don't have a whole lot of support but they are a fun shoe . Depending on your heel preference sliders will be the "it" shoe this summer. There are so many to chose from so i'm sharing some of my favorite.

More slidders : here , here , here , here