Design Life Diaries

Friday, November 27, 2015

BLACK FRIDAY SALES

Oh Happy Day! I can finally share this amazing sale at ShopBop with you! It's their biggest sale of the year, and it's happening now until November 30th! The sale is structured as a buy more, save more promotion so it's a great time to start shopping for family and friends on your Christmas list too! For more details on rules and exceptions, check out the official rules here.

It's always so hard to narrow down my wish list at ShopBop, but with this kind of sale, I don't even have to! The savings make up it- the more you buy, the more you save! (At least that's what I like to tell myself-ha!)

Check out some of my favorite jacket and boots below!


1. Black Sherpa Lined Jacket

2. Green Jacket

3. Plaid Faux Fur Jacket

4. Plaid Bomber Jacket



1. Brown Boots

2. Red Booties

3. Grey Boots

4. Black Fringe Booties

Looking for more BLACK FRIDAY deals?! Check out LULU's sale, where many items are up to 90% off, and ASOS, where everything on their site is 30% off!

Happy hunting everyone! Enjoy the rest of the weekend with family and friends!!


Saturday, November 21, 2015

Autumn in California


A few weeks ago my sister and her husband came to visit us and to see our new house. It's been a long time since we've been able to hang out with them without their adorable kiddos around, so we were pretty excited to have some adult time this trip! One thing my sister requested was to have Chris and I take couples photos of her and her husband. Being six months pregnant at the time, it was really a maternity session, and the photos came out absolutely gorgeous. I was so happy we were able to capture some great shots for the two of them.

Being the amazing sister that she is, she offered to snap a few photos of Chris and I at the end of their shoot. Having this blog, I have so many photos of style posts (shot by my talented hubby) but no real photos of the two of us together.  I think the last time we took photos together with a professional photographer was at our wedding 3 years ago! It was great to get a few new shots to place around the house :)

Also, stay tuned for an exciting announcement in a few days here on the blog! 




Outfit details:
{Top: Zara (similar styles here and here)// Shorts: Bloomingdales (more options here)}


Sunday, October 25, 2015

October Favorites


How is October almost over?! I swear the months fly by faster and faster each year. Well girlies, today I'm sharing some of my favorite items for this month. It still hasn't cooled down very much in LA, but that won't stop me from wearing scarves and booties. And nothing says fall like a perfectly crafted heart latte, am I right??


Shop the post:

1. Mug Cakes Cookbook by Books with Style
2. Gold Necklace (similiar)
3. Grey Scarf by Club Monaco
4. Feather Ring by Rebecca Minkoff
5. Denim Top by Cupcakes and Cashmere
6. Monogrammed Watch by Kate Spade
7. Grey Booties by Sam Edelman




Tuesday, October 13, 2015

Apple Rose Tart: Pinterest Win

Apple Rose Tart for Fall: Design Life Diaries

Last week I stumbled across the prettiest fall dessert I've ever laid eyes on. I love all things involving flowers, so an apple pie that looks like a rose is this girl's dream come true! There were so many variations of this apple rose online, from large pies to bite size treats. I decided to create a tartlet variation to make mine a little more unique since I didn't see any of those on Pinterest.

I loosely followed this recipe from FMITK blog, which helped me out a lot! I decided to do a larger tart, instead of using a muffin pan so I could get a grander effect for the rose bud. I had to adjust some of the cooking times, etc. but her recipe was a great guideline! 

There was a high probability that this would end up as a Pinterest fail, but I was pleasantly surprised with the outcome! Rolling the apple slices into a rose bud is a little hard to control at first, but once you get the hang of it, you will be shocked at how simple and easy it actually is. It's so pretty, your family and friends will all think you bought this treat at a fancy bakery! :D

The actual flavor of this fall treat is absolutely amazing. Your house will smell amazing as the apple tart is baking, and we could barely wait for them to cool down before diving right in! Chris put this on his top three list of favorite things I've baked this year so...yea, it's pretty good. Be prepared for photo overload of this dessert...I was so proud of how well it turned out that I couldn't stop taking pics!

Apple Rose Tart for Fall: Design Life Diaries

Follow the recipe's directions on preparing the dough and the apple slices, and when you are done you should have something like this! Isn't it pretty?!

Fall Baking, Apple Rose Tart for Fall: Design Life Diaries

Fall Baking, Apple Rose Tart for Fall: Design Life Diaries
After the tart is baked, you can brush on some strawberry preserves for an extra flavor boost, and a great way to highlight the red of the apple. This makes it look even more like a dreamy rose!

Fall Baking, Apple Tartlet, Apple Rose Tart for Fall: Design Life Diaries

Fall Baking, Apple Tartlet, Apple Rose Tart for Fall: Design Life Diaries

Fall Baking, Apple Tartlet, Apple Rose Tart for Fall: Design Life Diaries

If you'd like, you can add a few leaves as a garnish to really bring the rose into full effect. I just used a few leaves from the roses I bought, but you could also use a bay leaf or possibly a mint leaf if you want the garnish to be edible.

Fall Baking, Apple Tartlet, Apple Rose Tart for Fall: Design Life Diaries

Fall Baking, Apple Tartlet, Apple Rose Tart for Fall: Design Life Diaries

Let me know if you guys give this recipe a try! It's perfect for a fall get-together and I will definitely be making it again for Thanksgiving!

BONUS!!
There are two great sales going on right now 
that you all will LOVE!

ShopBop is hosting their friends and family discount Oct. 13th (today) until Oct. 15th
Use the Coupon Code: INTHEFAM25



Gigi New York is also hosting their Friends and Family Sale, 25% off their entire site today!!
Use the Coupon Code: WEAREFAMILY
and you will also receive a free gift on any orders over 100!



Happy shopping everyone!!



Wednesday, October 7, 2015

Leopard Print Clutch at Manhattan Beach Pier



This past week has been super busy with a constant flow of visitors through our new house. I absolutely love playing hostess, so the constant laundry and quick house turnover for new arrivals was a small price to pay to greet new guests every few days. (I'm a weirdo who actually loves doing laundry lol) Not to mention it's a great excuse to get out to our favorite restaurants and places!

Our last two visitors were my sister and her husband. They wanted a few days in the sun before their third baby's arrival in a few months. This particular day, we all headed to Manhattan Beach for some amazing breakfast at MB Post, some shopping, and of course to look out over the water on the pier. With my photographer sister in town, Chris was able to take a break from shooting blog photos (love you hubby!), and relax/jump in a few of the shots this week. 

It can be challenging to dress for fall when the weather doesn't want to cooperate. Although I shouldn't be complaining, as we briefly had lower temperatures over the weekend- which was perfect for the Dodgers game. Anyways....I decided to opt for darker colors, and my floppy beach hat which could work for warm or cool weather. 

My favorite item from this shoot is that leopard print clutch! I've seen a few versions of this clutch for awhile now, and finally tracked down the brand, Clare V. Leopard print is so cute (in moderation), and is perfect for transitioning into fall. Just steer clear of any head to toe leopard pant suits. I'm really hoping they don't actually have those! :D 







{Dress: Zara // Hat: Anthropologie; old (similar here) // Shoes: Sam Edleman; sold out (more options here) // Clutch: Clare V. c/o // Necklace: Sira&Mara c/o // Sunglasses: Ray-Ban}


BONUS!!
If you haven't already heard, ShopBop just launched their very own denim collection called The Principle Collection! They've partnered with the denim industry's top brands to bring you a very diverse set of styles and fits to please any fashionista! 


One of my favorites is this pair by Citizens of Humanity:


See the full collection here.





Thursday, September 24, 2015

September Favorites


Fall is finally upon us! Even though the weather here in Cali isn't really following along, I'm ready to put my favorite scarves and boots back into my wardrobe!

Today I pulled together a few of my favorite items for September. It's safe to say I want everything on this list...but if I absolutely had to choose just one, it would be that super cozy plaid scarf! Perfect for a crisp fall day at the apple orchard...which may or may not be in our future very soon! :D

Shop the post:

1. Rose Stiletto Jeans by Current/Elliot
2. Candle by Jonathan Adler 
3. Grey Fedora Hat by Brixton
4. Plaid Blanket Scarf by Subtle Luxury
5. Passport Holder by Flight 001
6. Sunglasses by Gentle Monster
7. Rodillo Wedges by Jeffrey Campbell



Wednesday, September 16, 2015

Breaking the Rules


With only a few weeks of summer left, I'm trying to soak in every last drop of summer sun that I possibly can! I'm also a strong advocate against the 'No White after Labor Day" rule, if you couldn't tell. Who even came up with this non-sense?! Especially for anyone living in year-round warm climates, or taking tropical vacations...I'd like to think that we get a free pass on this one. ;)

These last few weeks for me have been all about re-charging and slowing down life in general. Chris and I have been so busy this past year, that to be quite honest, it's been a little bit of a shell-shock to me! The difference a full night of sleep can make is beyond ridiculous. I'm pretty sure the best beauty regimen you can do for yourself is to get consistent sleep. Without changing a thing, my skin feels brighter and my complexion is so much clearer!

As you all already know, I absolutely love going on adventures around California. We've been crossing off a few items from our bucket list, so expect to see those up on the blog in the next few weeks!







{Pink Top: Sample Sale (similar here and here) // 
Leggings: Sample Sale (more cute leggings here) // 
Sandals: Target, old ( more options here and here
Sunglasses: Ray-Ban (similar here) }

Have a great rest of the week!